Tales of Azure
by TheThotAudit
Summary: Family stolen. His world collapsed around him. Revenge driving him to live and kill the one who wronged him. The order that grips the world fights against him, but he will not waver. A quest for revenge. But what if this quest leads to something much bigger? What will he do? And what can he do? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

" **I'LL KILL YOU!"** A young blond screamed in rage. Emerald-ruby eyes filled with anger, the boy rushed the armor-clad man before him. Face twisted in unrelenting fury, right arm cloaked in a deep, dark, black. With a hard step, the young boy, Ragna, reeled his right arm back to swing up and tear the armored man apart, only to be blown back by a gust of wind. He rolled, glided, and bounced along the grassy terrain before coming to a stop. When he picked up his head to gaze at his attacker, his canines ground like a savage wolf and his already murderous outlook became even more menacing, his fingers and claws dug into the earth and bunched up the soil and blades of grass into his hands.

"You… **bitch…!** "

The man looked up to the scarlet night that shrouded the world, the moon crimson.

"Tonight is the night..." The armor clad man voice echoed through the night. Stern and deep, it brought everything to a standstill, even time itself. His very presence was a force to be reckoned with. Mask faceless and chilling pressure zoning out the bloodstained air; his gaze once more fell on Ragna, serving to stop Ragna's advance. "The ceremony will reach its climax."

"Cere…mony…?"

"The souls of those sacrificed will become the catalyst for mankind's redemption. It will bring us hope and salvation. The possibility of a life free from sorrow… Free of evil."

"You…masked…bitch!" The boy cursed at him as he slowly rose from the ground. "I'm gonna make you pay…! You hear me!?"

"…" The blond haired girl extends her hand outwards as another blast of wind came and struck him, spiraling him into a small plateau behind him. He hit the bedrock back first. Blood spurt from his mouth as his eyes stretched to saucers, a scream of pain stuffed in his throat, unable to pour from his mouth. Ragna hit the ground with a harsh thud and cough a few times before looking back up.

"Why…? Why are you doing this!? We've never done ANYTHING to you!" the boy cries out. "What's the point to all this!?"

"It is all…for the sake of order."

"What…?"

"This world is unbalanced," the swordsman said. "Tonight I shall bring the rest of 'them' to our world… Then we can secure our future and move passed this nightmare…"

"How the hell can this secure out future!?" He rose up once more and glared right at the armor-clad man. "How does slaughtering my family and my village supposed to do that shit huh!?" He got no response from the man as his teeth once again showed themselves to the world. Before he could move, a bright white light stole his gaze as he found a white seal under his feet. Chains sprung came from the seal and wrapped around him as it brought him down to the ground. He tried to wiggle his way out, but it was useless. There was no escape.

"Who…the hell…are you…!?" He strained himself to say as the chains binding him began to crush him.

"Who am I…?" The man strode over to the boy on the ground, each footstep shaking the ground beneath him, unsheathing the long blade held on his back, striking fear into the boy's heart, nearly stopping it. "I shall reap the sins of this world… And cleanse it…in the fires of destruction. I…am Hakumen…" His advance yielded before the restrained boy as he lifted the tall blade above his head. "The end…has come."

* * *

"Sir. What are you planning to do?"

Hakumen and a few soldiers in white cloaks with masks over there face stood over what seemed to be a dungeon with an unconscious Ragna held loosely in the armored man's hand. T

"…Throw him in."

Without another word, they toss the young boy in through the open hatchet. Ragna hit the grey brick layered floor with a harsh thud. Once he did, the hatchet closed, the light dimming to the size of a penny. His entire body cried out in pain. From his head, all the way down to his legs. However, the pain he felt in his body was nothing to that of his real pain.

"…Mom… Dad… Jin…"

The boy's voice started to crack as he ground his teeth together. Tears fell down his face in perfect streams while he wept silently to himself. His whimpers and coughs echoed through the dark, gloomy dungeon. However, nobody was around to hear or care. Family slain, he was all alone. Left to wallow in his own despair. Forced to reside in a hell he did not deserve.

Images of Hakumen flashed in his mind as he clawed at the concrete. Trails of blood followed his fingers, his teeth grit and showing.

"Kill… Kill… Kill…"

He repeated over and over again to himself. He kept repeating as it became like a melody. The same mesmerizing tempo.

" **Uoooo…"**

He heard a growl and cocked his head back to see what that noise was. Ragna looked to see beasts covered in a dark gaseous substance. Their eyes glowed a bright red, saliva running down from their mouths, and razor sharp fangs and claws ready to tear into him.

However, he didn't feel threatened one bit. He struggled to get up, mumbling the same thing over and over again. His hair shrouding his eyes from view.

"Kill…"

He rose to his knees.

"Kill…!"

He wobbled onto his two feet as they came closer.

"Kill!"

His right arm turned into a massive claw as he looked up at them with wide, murderous eyes.

" **KILL!"**

Ragna roared as he charged at the coming beasts to engage them in a bloody battle. However, this was no battle; this was a massacre. He tore through them and ripped them apart like paper. Bloody, sickening squelches and the cries of the monsters resounded through the dungeon. Once a cement-grey floor now bathed in red as did Ragna. The wounds inflicted on him begun to heal, sizzling like a flame before disappearing.

Those still left alive cowered, taking a few steps back. Ragna's head fell to his right. His eyes were wide, deranged, psychotic. No longer was he a simple boy living a peaceful life with his loved ones, but a monster out for blood. Craving it...! He wanted it!

A wicked smile appeared on his lips then.

He was so hungry...

"Heh."

And his food was staring right at him.

* * *

The sound of squelches now filled the blood stained room. Within the carnage and littered bodies, a crimson drenched Ragna knelt before a still breathing daemon as he tore into the crying monster, took whatever piece of meat he could get his hands on, and shoved it in his mouth whole. Desperate hands worked effortlessly to bring the irresistible meat to his mouth. He was so hungry... But no matter how much he ate, he could never feel full. Ragna took up a bone and licked whatever scant of meat remained, slurping up the blood as if it were ketchup. The boy stood up then, arms wobbling when he did so, his eyes stretched in horror and lips curled in a smile. A mixture of different emotions flit within him; repugnance, ecstasy, fear, joy.

Soon that pleasure and delight vanished, leaving him with nothing but disgust. Trembling, he turned to his right hand to find it in its claw form. How could this happen? Just what did he do? Ragna buckled to his knees, splashing in the pool of blood.

"Hakumen…"

This was his fault...!

"Hakumen...!"

Then and there he made a vow.

A vow that would drive him to live on.

A mission.

" **I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"**

 **Fifteen years later…**

The room was dark with only the light from the small hatchet above illuminating it. Dead bodies littered the floor, filling the room with the stench of blood and aroma of decomposition. Viscera and gore spread all across the surrounding stone. In this dark, filthy, bloodstained room, a single man sat all the way in the corner of the room. His body was well toned as his chest was visible through the tight shirt he wore. He had on a ripped up brown sleeveless shirt and pants; his hair a dirty spiky blond and eyes mismatched, one emerald green and the other crimson red. His right arm was a pitch black as his left was normal. The man's ears tingled at the sound of footsteps and looked to see not a man, but a beast. It took on the form of a wolf with a single brown leather chest plate on its right breast. Razor sharp teeth and fangs as its drool poured down its chin while he stalked towards the masculine man. Its presence would shake even the most formidable warrior to their boots.

But not him.

Not anymore.

"Looks like another idiot wants to die. I'm not in the mood for this shit..." Ragna scoffed. His deep, gruff voice echoed within his cell, hanging in the air for a moment. With an annoyed grunt, Ragna stood at his full height. Darkness oozed from his right arm before encasing it entirely, stopping the monsters advance. "You're scared now are ya? Well, it's too late for regrets now."

With a scared whimper, the daemon began to run the opposite way. Tch, how annoying, Ragna clicked his teeth as he leapt over the scampering daemon and landed right in front of him, grabbing his neck in the same instant as he hoisted the beast up in the air.

"You know if it didn't progress this far I might've been able to save you. I guess luck wasn't on your side. Sorry about this..." Ragna slammed the daemon onto the ground with enough force to break the brick-covered floor, tightening his hold on the creature. It writhed and squirmed, and past its savagous eyes, it begged for mercy. Something Ragna could no longer give. Something like this was nothing. Just another daemon, Ragna groaned internally. All in a days work.

"Just shut up. Don't worry; I'll end your suffering as quickly as I can." His tone held a remorseful edge as he pushed its head further down into the concrete to shut it up, and with a yell, crushed its head. The creatures limbs squirmed as if having a seizure before finally falling limb. The moment it did, Ragna did like he always did, and devoured it. The creature's body began to vanish, replaced by a thick purple cloud. Ragna's arm pulsed which sounded like a gulp with each 'bite' he took. Once the creature had vanished entirely, Ragna rose up with a sad look in his eyes. Not even a body...?

"Damn… The hell kind of shit is this…"

Years of being trapped in this hellhole taught Ragna what these things were that ravaged the planet. Or...who. Once people, now monsters out for blood. Men, women, child—it didn't matter who. Daemonblight had no favorite.

"Poor kid…" He shook his head in disapproval, contrite eyes fixed where the body of the daemon once laid. "All for the sake of justice? What a load of crap. Self-centered sonsabitches."

Even though he's been trapped in this godforsaken caged and stripped of his rights as a human being that didn't mean he still didn't have his morals. He couldn't let himself break or lose himself. That was one thing he couldn't let happen. In any event, his time in here gave him time to sort what happened out, and the daemons that came in here helped him out. What were these daemons? And just what exactly happened to his village? However, that question remained unanswered. There were no means of getting that information. All he could do was try and survive. Survive and try to make it out so he could get the answers he's been searching desperately for.

"It's been fifteen years now…" The man mumbled to himself as he looked at his pitch black arm. He held his head in pain as he tried to recall the exact events of that day. That horrid...horrid day. Ragna growled when the bane of his existence, a man clad in white armor, standing over a large sanctuary popped up in his mind. A blade as tall as he was in hand, his back turned to him.

"Damn him…!"

Fifteen, long, cold, lonely years he's been trapped in this cage. Forced to fight and devour man, woman, and child. The unfortunate souls that became daemons now his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He's devoured soul after soul, after soul and he could hear them wailing as he ate them. Their souls cried out for solace and peace. He saw that he was able to let them go in peace, but it wasn't as often as he'd like. Sometimes they were at a phase that they could even be saved and turned back into humans, but that was rare. If he recalled correctly, it's only happened once or twice. The best he could do was send them off as quickly as he could and put their soul to rest.

Ragna closed his eyes, recalling his past. In this cold cell, it was the only thing that kept him warm.

' _Brother…'_

A boys voice echoed through his mind as he grit his teeth.

A time where he could recall truly being happy. And a time where he lost everything. All because of that man. And it is because that man still lives that he finds the strength to carry on as he dreams of the day where he can kill him with his own two hands. To make him suffer as he has; to avenge his family; to bath in the afterglow of his demise.

With a sigh, he started back to his corner at the end of the room, but an odd noise stopped him in his tracks. He looked up to see the door above him open as a ladder descended down to the ground. He raised his hand above his eyes to block the light that came from above him. His eyes slowly began to adjust to the bright light coming from above and removed his hand from his eyes as a figure descended to him. From the hatchet, a woman wearing a black dress with red crosses on it and a large red bow on her chest landed gracefully on the ground. She had long blond hair tied in pigtails by black ribbons that almost made her look like a rabbit. The woman had a small red bat at her side and a black umbrella in hand. She crossed over to the taller man and stopped right in front of him, a small greeting smile on her face.

"Good evening, Ragna."

"Your… Rachel Alucard." Ragna's glare hardened. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked her with a sharp venom.

Rachel twirls her umbrella in her hand playfully and looks around the room. "I see you have been quite busy these past few years Ragna. Quite t—"

"I asked what the fuck are you doing here?" Ragna cut her off.

Rachel stopped twirling her umbrella and closed it with a snap.

"I have come for you Ragna. I believe it is time for you to get out of here. A man should not be cooped up in one place for so long. Even a beast like you needs to be let off his leash at some point. I believe a thank you is in order." Rachel giggled.

"I don't have time to put up with your bullshit." He hissed his teeth in disdain and gave her a halfhearted chuckle. "Also, beast? Leash? I think your more of a beast then I'll ever be… Vampire."

"Still a classless foul. You haven't changed at all in the fifteen years incarcerated. To speak to me in such an uncouth tone? Do know your place peasant."

"I see you haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. Still an uptight bitch." Ragna bit and put a hand on his hip. "So, what does the woman who put me here want to break me out for? What, you want me to be your slave? Sorry you bloodthirsty lapin, but I ain't gonna be your lapdog."

Rachel giggled then.

"So you wish to stay in this pit of blood and gore for the rest of your life then Ragna?"

"I think that's better than looking at you at this point. So…if you don't **leave** …"

The guttural growl that erupted from him hung in the air. Hatred oozed from him as seithr seeped from his right arm. Rachel's familiars gulped staring at the platinum. To them, he had glowing red eyes and stood as nothing but a phantom; a monster. Unfazed by his threat or the gravity-defying pressure he gave, she giggled and leapt back for some space.

"Oh really? I would love to see you try Ragna. Please. I insist." In that same instant, Ragna appeared before her, fist reeled, and eyes stretched wide. Gracefully, Rachel sidestepped to the right, using her wind to aid her as the man flew across the room for his fist to crater the wall behind her. "My," Rachel covered her mouth with dainty fingers with eyes wide in surprise. "If I did not know any better, I believe you were actually trying to kill me. Is this true?"

"I got nothing to say to you," Ragna replied sharply. He charged back at her, his fist surrounded by seithr once more. He threw several punches and kicks her way, but she dodged them nimbly and gracefully, almost like a dance.

"Is that truly all you can do? Mr. "Grim Reaper"? That is quite pitiful."

"Aaagh!" With a beastial roar, Ragna's fist collides with the ground as Rachel leapt back just before the attack turned her into a jelly pastry.

Silence.

"You enjoying yourself over there?" Ragna asked in an irritated tone.

"Quite. I have not had this much fun in an age." Rachel answered.

"Who the hell do you think you are…?" Ragna took his fist from the concrete, small pebbles falling while he did so. "You think this is fucking 'fun'? You think this is a damn joke!?" Ragna's arm morphed into a massive claw then. Digging his feet into the ground, Ragna charged the vampire once again, and when she attempted to sidestep using the wind, Ragna caught her, brought her to the very back of the dungeon and slammed her into the wall.

"Oh my, you caught me. I did not predict this."

"You think this is a fucking game!? If you're just here to fuck with me let me tell you… You made the wrong. Fucking. **Choice.** " He clenched his left fist and reeled it back as seithr surrounded it.

"A game hm?"

"Always thinking that shit is a game. Rambling on about how bored you are. You never fucking change… You always manage to piss me off. So how about this. You get the fuck out of here before I kill you because I am so SICK and TIRED of your bullshit! Just looking at you makes me fucking sick…! I wish you would just die."

"...And? If I do not leave."

"Then I guess this place is gonna be your grave."

"I see… But let me tell you… If you kill me…" Ragna threw his fist to strike her as a smirk came across Rachel's features. "Then you will never know what took place that night." With that, Ragna's fist stops right in front of her face, the wind from the attack ruffling her perfect bangs as a single string of hair fell from its place.

Ragna retracted his fist back to his side and let her down after a momentary staring contest as his right arm reverts to its regular pitch black state. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rachel gracefully moved her fingers across her forehead to correct the small strand of hair that dangled over her. "What you saw…? Why your village was sacrificed…? What that ritual was? I'm sure you want answers." Ragna remained silent. Rachel smirked, "I see I have caught you attention. If you seek answers, that I can provide. But we must escape first." The vampire snapped her fingers as a massive seal appeared above him and shattered, the seal falling like glass and disappearing into the wind.

"What are you up too?" Ragna asked, suspicious of the vampires goal. "Are you trying to use me? If you are you can go to hell. Actually, just go to hell."

"Do you truly care? What should matter now is getting out of here. We haven't much time. I've broken quite a few seals to make it here, and I have no doubt the guards will notice." Rachel informed.

"I see..." Ragna glossed over Rachel's clothing to find it a bit torn up. Not too much to be easily recognized, but it was clear she ran into some trouble before arriving here.

"Though," Rachel started. "I must say you have grown a bit since the last time I saw you Ragna."

"It's been fifteen years… The hell else did you expect?" Ragna bit.

"Well," she giggled and brought her hand up to his cheek. "I expected you t—"

Slap.

A loud slap sound rang through the silent dungeon. It was the sound of Ragna slapping Rachel's hand off his face. This time she didn't have anything to say and just stared at him.

"Don't you ever…" Ragna started, his voice filled with a powerful venom, his glare strong enough to make even the gods themselves cower. "Don't…touch me. Don't you **ever** laying a finger on me ya hear?"

"…"

"Now if we're done chatting, we need to go. You've got a lot of shit you need to explain to me." The dungeon went silent then, filled with nothing but the footsteps of Ragna heading towards the ladder. He stopped just a few steps from Rachel. "Also… Don't go acting like we're friends. This isn't some reunion or destined meeting. This is nothing more than a chance encounter. Or did you forget what you did to me?"

"No… I am well aware of what I've done to you. I am one of the reasons you are in here after all…"

"Good. Glad you remember. So I'm gonna say this shit once." Ragna started. "After we get outta here…and you tell me all I need to know. I want you out my sight." He looked over his shoulder at her with wide, beast-like eyes, his voice just as vicious. "And the next time I see you… I'm gonna kill you. No questions asked."

"…"

"Are we clear?"

"…Crystal."

Ragna didn't glance back at her after that and made his way out, leaving the vampire with her familiars. Rachel felt a sudden tightness in her chest as if someone was squeezing it. She placed a hand over it as if it would ease her pain, but somehow, it only made it worse. Rachel chuckled to herself in pity. Why should she be sad? It's no surprise to her that he would respond to her like this. Honestly, this went better than she expected. But still...

"Princess…" Nago observed his master with saddened eyes along with his bat companion. Just looking at her like this... It made their hearts ache.

"Are you o—?"

"I'm fine," Rachel sharply cut off Gii.

"But princess… You don't seem ok."

"Gii… Nago…"

The two started to shiver as they answered back hesitantly. "Y-Yes princess?"

"...It is nothing. So let us stop with the questions."

"O-Oh… Right…"

'What is wrong with me…? What was I expecting to see when I walked in here?' "Let us go before that idiot gets impatient." Rachel summoned a small gust of wind that fluttered her dress then. Slowly, she made her way to the hatchet and shut her eyes as memories began flooding back into her. To the night that would forever change the course of her life. 'Why…? There was no point…' Rachel gave a sad sigh as she opened her eyes and flew through the hatch to find nothing but barren land scattered with rocks and a large door a good walking distance from her that lead to the inner prison. Trotting across the rock-littered landscape was Ragna, who had made it halfway. Someone was in a hurry, Rachel attempted to joke, but it did little to bring her up. Contrite eyes observed the man, holding the hand he slapped away moments ago.

 _"Don't...touch me. Don't you **ever** lay a finger on me, ya hear?"_

Rachel's head hung just enough for her bangs to shroud her eyes as rain made it's decent, growing harsher by the second. Somehow, her chest grew tighter, and her eyes began to burn. She told herself she was ready. For so long she prepared herself for this day. And yet, she came ill-equipped to handle this pain. This pain was unlike any she had ever felt before. Rachel pondered over herself for a moment, trying to figure out why her heart ached so. But, it didn't take too long. Even a child could figure out this pain that ailed her.

'So...this is how it feels to have your heart broken?'

Rachel bit her lip and bunched her top up in her fist.

'I hate this feeling... I hate it...' Rachel tightened her grip than with enough force to rip her shirt. 'It hurts... It hurts so much...' She pulled in her lip as her fangs sunk into it, drawing blood that dripped down her lip, joining the falling rain.

Rachel looked up to the grey sky.

'Father... Please, grant me strength.'

 **Now that's the end of this chapter** **. While I was writing this I debated between this and Persona 5 (great game by the way). I'm still thinking about doing a Persona 5 one, but meh. Hope yall found this read enjoyable and I'll see ya next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter 1: Prison break**

 **Revised.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Prison break**

Thunder roared above the prison as a certain two began to make their escape. Rain beat down on them as it drenched their clothes. Their loud footsteps were heard near and far, their feet splashing in puddles of water. They make it to the large door and stop right in front of it. With a snap of her fingers, a massive seal appeared on the door and vanished in that same instant. Ragna pushed the door open as he took a step in, finding himself in a wide carcass filled hallway. Ragna looked at the array of bodies scattered all over the floor. The stench of their decaying corpses found their way into his nose.

"Huh… Guess you were busy."

"They were quite a handful to deal with," Rachel replied.

They took a step in, as the water that ran on their bodies made small droplets on the floor. Only a few steps in, she caught a whiff of something awful, as it smelled of nothing, but decomposition. It outweighed the scent of the corpses she already killed and wondered what that scent could be that clogged her airways. She turned to the source as she looked to Ragna and his tattered clothes. His attire was already distasteful as it is. Now, not only did she have to bare witness to his torn visage, but she must also bare the smell. With a displeased groan, the vampire held her nose to his stench. Feeling that if she didn't, her nose would've fallen off.

"My word… When was the last time you had a bath?"

"Yesterday." He answers back uncaringly.

"I would think not… That deplorable scent that is oozing from your body would most definitely speak otherwise. You smell like a dying rat…"

"They threw water on me, handed me a small bar of soap, and a small cloth. The fuck do you expect me to smell like with all those dead bodies? Your fucking rose garden?" Ragna asks in annoyance.

"I think anything would be better than this… There should be a washroom up ahead. Here." Rachel snaps her fingers as clothes appear out of thin air and falls to the ground in front of him.

Ragna eyes the new set of closes and looks to see it was a red jacket with several belts, a long blade, or in this case, it would be better described as a massive slab of metal, a black shirt, two pairs of black gloves with red shells on the back of them, and what seemed to be a hakama from his knowledge.

"Change into these… It is much better than those tattered clothes you have on." Rachel said. "I think a thank you is in order?"

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Why don't you truly reverie over your rather fool hearty words? You would not even make it to the port without me. Now. Do as your told, and get yourself together. Time is the master."

"Tch." Ragna clicks his teeth at her, and picks the clothes up, as the two make their way deeper into the chambers. It didn't take them too long to reach their destination, as it was only a few doors down from where they stood. Ragna opens the door, and heads inside, leaving Rachel outside to dry off her clothes. She quickly rang out her dress, as puddles of water were formed underneath her. Nago and Gii transformed into towels, as they helped their master dry herself off.

With her clothes, and hair dry, Rachel shakes her head to splash off the remaining water from her hair. She pats her dress down, as she felt they were now dry. Now all that she needed to do was wait on Ragna to finish up. With a sigh, she leans on the door and waits for him to come out.

She heard the water turn on for a while, and couldn't help, but scoff at how much water he was wasting, and he probably didn't even put on any soap yet. She started to tap her foot, and folded her arms, tapping her finger on her arm in impatience.

"Come on, Ragna! My patience is growing quite thin!" Rachel shouted, making sure she was loud enough for Ragna to hear her with the running pipe, and the closed door between them.

"Oh shut up! You're the one who told me to take a bath! So shove that umbrella up your ass and fucking wait!"

"I shall do no such thing you, disgusting vermin."

"Do you want me to do it for you, you stupid rabbit!?" Ragna barked.

"What I WANT is for you to finish. I do not have all day to waste on you." Rachel replied.

"Oh well. It's life rabbit. So wait." Ragna said.

"Do you want me to come in there, and drag you out?" Rachel threatened.

"Oh, I fucking dare you… See what happens the moment you open that door..."

"Hmph. Very well…" Rachel took the doorknob in her hand, ready to turn. "Then I shall…"

"Wait, princess!" Nago stopped her, as Gii flew in front of her. "Don't do it! Let's just wait him out, princess." The black cat begged.

"This man challenged me. I am not one to run from challenges."

"Please, princess. We can't draw too much attention to ourselves." Gii told her.

"Hmph." Rachel puts her hand down to her sides, and sighs. "Your right… I suppose with all that is going on, I am a little on edge."

"Phew." The two familiars sighed.

"You should be grateful Ragna. If not for them, I would have fried you, and make that bathtub your grave." Rachel got no response from him, and lets out a "Hmph". "So you are ignoring me now? Such a child you are."

"Sorry, but I don't speak BITCH. Can't understand a word your sayin'." Ragna responded casually.

Nago and Gii quickly felt a shiver run down their spines, as their bodies began to shake. Slowly turning around to the source, they look to see murderous intent written across their master's face.

"You don't speak 'bitch' hm? How about I educate you in the language…!?"

"W-Wait!" Nago and Gii yelled in a panicked tone. The two tried their best to calm down their livid mistress. After receiving several slaps from her, she finally calmed down, leaving Nago, and Gii on the floor with red marks on their cheeks.

After about twenty minutes, she heard the door unlock, and leaned off of it, as, Ragna walked out, now sporting his new set of clothes. "That fits you quite nicely Ragna. And now," she sniffed the air and smiled. "You don't smell like a dying rat anymore."

"Spare the bullshit, and let's get down to it. Why are you helping me?"

"Now, now," Rachel waves her fingers and clicks her teeth. "I can't tell you yet Ragna. You must be patient."

"Patient huh? Sorry, but I lost my patience years ago. Now quit stalling, and answer my damn questions." Ragna's eyes turned to suspicious slits, as he sent a hard glare her way. "Why are you here? Why are you breaking me out? And wh—?" Ragna was stopped, as Rachel shoved her hand in his face.

"Like I said. Questions for later."

"Fine then… I'll just force you to talk… There's more than one way to get a person to spill it."

"Oh?" Rachel giggled. "I did not know you had such…cravings...Ragna… Has being locked in a cage truly turned you into an animal? Or is it just because you haven't seen a woman in so long?"

"Shut the hell up." He unsheathes his sword, and points it at her, the tip of the blade touching her neck. "Now talk… Unless you wanna die an early death."

"It makes no difference to me." Rachel's expression grew lifeless. Devoid of all feeling or meaning, as did her voice. Turning to the cold slab of metal that was currently pressed against her neck, she grabbed the blade with her small hand and pressed her hand firmly on it. Blood soon ran down the sword, dripping onto the ground like water from a faucet. "No matter what you do to me… Stab me… Torture me… Even kill me… I wouldn't care… If you killed me you would actually be doing me a favor. So do it if you truly wish to." She aimed the sword down to her chest, pointing the tip right at her heart. "I will not stop you."

"Tch." He clicked his teeth, then lowered his blade. "You just killed the mood..."

"Princess!" Nago and Gii look at their master's hand and saw a gash on it. "Are you alright!?"

Rachel reaches under her dress and pulls out a long bandage as she wraps it around her hand, and ties it tight. "Do not fret," she flicks her hand a little. "I shall live. Tis nothing, but a scratch." 'A mere wound like this…' She looks down into the palm of her hand and sighs. 'Means nothing…'

"But princess!" Nago clenched his teeth, shifting his gaze to the one that caused his masters pain. "How dare you do that to the princess!?"

"Oh? So… What are you gonna do about it huh?" Ragna stabbed his sword into the ground, the tremor it caused made Nago shake as he fell back. "You gotta problem you stuffed toy? Come on then… Do something."

"There is no need. Sheathe your blade, Ragna." Rachel sighed. With a "Tch" he sheathed his sword with a click and threw Nago and Gii a murderous glare that shook them to their core. Rachel paid no heed to her freightened servants, turning her attention to her bandaged hand. "All this means…is everything is different… Nothing is the same… And it never will."

"…"

"Princess…"

A long, uncomfortable silence took them up. Without a single word, Ragna walked right passed her and continued without looking back. His footsteps from his steel toed boots clapped on the floor as the sound echoed all throughout the halls. Rachel watched him for a few moments before walking after him, staying at least three inches behind him as the murderous intent coming off of him was intoxicating, every bit of it directed at her. Nago and Gii walked, or in Gii's case, flew beside their master. The silence that encompassed them was more than a little unsettling. They looked at it as something that was much better than the two barking at each other, but then again, they couldn't stand it.

After several minutes of silence, Ragna finally spoke up.

"So…can you at least answer this?"

"Answer what?"

"Where did you get this jacket and sword?" Ragna asks.

"So you recognize it do you…?" Rachel questioned. "I figured you threw away your past while locked away in that cell of yours."

"Answer the damn question already. Where the hell did you get it?"

"It the last remnant of your father's belongings. I took it, as a keepsake for the kindness he showed me. It would be a waste for something like this to just rot, now wouldn't it?"

"Dad…" Ragna clenched his jacket and bit his lip. This piece of cloth and sword was the last remnants of his father. He was always quite fond of this red colored jacket and sword. When he went hunting with his father and brother, he always watched him. He wanted to use the blade and wear the jacket himself. But he was much too little for that at the time. Now that he had it on, he felt a bit of warmth slither its way into his body. This familial warmth that coursed through him was one he remembered quite well. The warmth of his now lost family. Years of spending time with them. However, those years will never return. The hands of time only go one way. And that way is forward. Shaking his head, he eased his grip on the red fabric from his grasp. "So you kept this because of his generosity? Pretty creepy if you ask me…"

"Says the one about to cry over his father's coat."

"I'm not crying over here." Ragna spat.

"You could have fooled me… Hm?" Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned her head to the right. Ragna took a couple more steps before realizing she stopped.

"What is it? Hurry, before the guards get here."

"I believe we should go in here." The vampire motioned her head to the room before her. Ragna went beside her and stared at the door that caught her eye, wondering what was inside that was so important. Seeing that questioning himself sold no merit, he asked Rachel.

"So, what's in here?"

"A storage room. Let's see if they have something useful. We are only two people after all. Even one such as I would have difficulty fighting off every guard in here."

"Can't you just teleport us outta here? Or do you just like the walk?" Ragna asked.

"I would if I could, you ungrateful dog. But there is an interference field up. The guards already know I'm here. They just don't know where I am. I would like to keep it that way. If you wish for me to try and teleport, it would give away our current location. By all means, however, let us teleport out of here."

"I just asked why you can't, not this long explanation, or your bitchy attitude." Ragna snarled.

"Well if you have had enough of my, with your own vulgar language, 'bitchy attitude', then shut your filthy mouth, and let us proceed. There might be something useful in here."

Ragna couldn't deny that she could be right about that, as they need anything they could to get out of the prison. Ignoring Rachel, he turns the doorknob and walks into the storage room to see quite the collection of different weapons and gear.

"Talk about a haul…" Ragna went further inside the storage room and opened every single box or crate he could find. Rachel did the same as they tried to find something actually worth while using. They didn't expect much, but anything could help. Sadly, however, the two came up empty.

He was about to give up, but stopped once he saw a long rope lying on the floor, and picked it up. "This should help me…just in case I need to climb down a mountain… This damn island is filled with unstable edges."

"Ah. So you know we are on an island?" Rachel walks over to him and looks at the rope. "Yes, that could be useful. However, how do you know we were on an island?"

"Those daemons told me as I killed them…" Ragna clenches the rope tighter as his face twists in disgust. "It wasn't a pleasant chat. I'll tell you that much…"

"You don't seem to be proud of your work, Mr. 'Grim Reaper. I thought you were pleased."

He scoffs at the comment. "Pleased? You've got to be shitting me. Why the hell would I be pleased because of that? Nothing, but bad luck." He lets out a breath. "But hell, why am I saying this to you? You'd probably jump in joy if that was your handy work."

"I take that, as an insult, Ragna. Do you truly think I would enjoy the slaughter of others?" Rachel asks in playful ignorance.

"Yeah. Yeah, you would." Ragna ties up the rope and puts it in his pocket.

"You wound me…" Rachel said, feigning hurt. Ragna looked to his right to see a rather large sword leaning against the table. This blade caught his eye, as it was very unique, even to him. It was massive, even bigger than his sword. It was black with two red lines coming down on the sides with a long handle, giving that this was a two handed sword.

"The hell… That's not some run of the mill weapon... Who's blade is this…?"

Rachel turns her attention to what he was staring at, as she scanned the massive blade in question. "I believe I recognize that sword. It would seem as if that man was sent here. I thought they would've executed him on the spot."

"You know who that belongs too?" Ragna asked.

"Indeed. About a year or so ago, a man by the name of, Kagura Mutsuki, was caught trying to rebel against the NOL. However, he was eventually brought down and was pronounced dead. It seems like he has just been here."

Ragna eyed the blade, staring holes into the massive sword. "He tried to rebel against the NOL? Guys got balls. I'll give him that."

"Let us go." Rachel started out the room as Ragna followed behind. They closed the door and continued down the corridor. Ragna saw no guards and wondered if it was all Rachel work. Whatever the case maybe with the lack of guards, it made wandering around much easier for them. Suddenly, Ragna's ears tingled as he quickly grabbed Rachel, and her familiars, and dove into a corner.

"Ragna! You shall release me at on—hmm!" The vampire was soon silenced as Ragna puts his hand over her mouth.

"Shut the hell up for two seconds, and listen!"

Calming down, Rachel heard footsteps, and they were getting closer and closer. Slowly, Ragna removed his hand from her mouth, as Rachel peeked over the corner. She saw two guards in blue jackets, and berets, with blue boots, and swords sheathed to their sides.

"You heard the guards from that far away hm? At least your senses have grown sharper. However, I think there is a matter we need to address…"

"Address? Now? What the hell do we need to address?" he asks in an irritated tone.

"Do you mind giving me some room?" Rachel asked, irritated. The position the two found themselves in was more than a bit misleading if anyone saw them. He had an arm around her back with her body pressed against him as they were pretty much staring into each other's eyes.

"Give you room? And you're on top of me?" Ragna growled.

"Keep your perversions to yourself you dog. I asked to give me some room, not to fulfill whatever sick desires are in that head of yours you filthy worm." Rachel scoffed.

"Don't you fucking even." Ragna snarled. "We're like this because I had to think fast. Not because I wanted to get with you."

"You can think now? My word, you actually have a brain? I'm impressed by your growth. I hope you did not over tax that small little brain of yours."

"Do you want me to throw you out to the guards?" Ragna threatened. The Reapers anger left him, as he listened in to how close the guards were now. There was some chatter going on, but it was inaudible to the hiding pair. Once the soldiers got closer and walked by them, they caught their words and lent an ear to their rather interesting conversation.

"Hey didn't you here? Some intruders broke into this place, and another actually managed to break out of their cell." One of them said while the other one gasped.

"Are you serious!? Damn… Has everyone already been notified?" The other one asked.

"Yes. Right now, all the guards are currently roaming the halls and out on the port."

"Wait, but what about the path under the watchtower?"

"Bah!" The guard waves his hand in an uncaring manner. "That path collapsed a while ago. Nobody can use it so guarding it is worthless. For now, let's join the others at the port. I think we already have enough roaming the halls." The guards talked and talked. Their conversation becoming inaudible as the pair walked away, now out of sight. With the two guards gone and their presences vanished, Ragna and Rachel unveil themselves from the corner.

"It is strange what guards can talk about these days. I am not complaining, however, since now we have a way to escape."

"The path…under the Watchtower huh?" Ragna put two fingers on his chin, as he contemplated that to be a good escape route. He nodded to himself as another idea came to mind. "Yeah, that could work." Ragna started off as Rachel followed once more. She figured they were going to the watchtower. They walked down several floors, but it didn't seem like he was heading for the watchtower. Something else ran rampant in his mind.

"I must ask…where are we off to now?"

"I'm gonna release the prisoners," Ragna responded.

"Why would you do that? You don't owe them anything." Rachel said.

"Who else can start a riot besides them? It'll distract the guards while we head for the path under the watchtower. I'm sure they'll head right through the front door. So while they go there, we take the other route."

"Interesting," Rachel smirked. "So you can actually use your head now hm? I suppose time in here was good for you after all."

"Yeah, it was. Gave me time away from you. But now since I'm stuck with you, I remember how much of a hell it is to deal with you and how annoying you are. Looks like no matter what I do my life always turns out to be nothing, but a hell hole." Ragna snarls at her and walks off as Rachel walked after him.

Coming to the end of the corridor, they heard the clashing of blades, and they could've sworn they heard a couple of yells. Now at the corner, the two jumped back as a guard came flying past then, and rammed into the wall with a hard thud.

"What the hell?" They walk passed the corner and looked to see a man with black spiky hair, two long strands coming down over his face, piercing purple eyes, a Japanese style white shirt that was opened up, revealing his toned chest and abs and a massive belt that hung over his waist. The man noticed them and sighed in annoyance.

"So what, more guards? Fine then…"

"Holy shit…" Ragna quickly gripped the hilt of his blade. 'So much freakin' malice…' "He's not an ordinary prisoner…"

"That he is not… Be on guard." Rachel said cautiously. The small vampire's eyes narrowed as she took the man in. He looked oddly familiar. 'Could he be...?'

Ragna quickly unslung his blade from his belts and charged at the mysterious man. A cocky smirk came across the man's face as he charged at Ragna, meeting him halfway as their blades clashed, the sound of clashing metal ringing throughout the empty halls.

Ragna raised his foot up for a roundhouse, but it was avoided as the man ducked. He swung his sword up, but the man's attack was deflected by Ragna with ease as the difference between the weight of their blades were clear just by looking at them.

Ready to counterattack, Ragna's right arm coated itself in seithr, but he coughs up blood, as a fist slammed itself into his stomach, and a kick soon followed along with it. Getting pushed back a few feet, he quickly reasserted himself and rushed the man as swung his massive sword downwards, but he disappeared without a trace, as his sword struck the ground, leaving a massive crater under his blade.

"What!?"

"Eyes on the price buddy." He heard his voice and ducked as his blade sliced through the air and grazed a piece of his hair.

 **"Gauntlet Hades!"** Ragna whipped around and surrounded his foot in seithr, creating a claw like shape from it. The man raises the dull sword up to block but is pushed back by the weight of the attack. He didn't even get time to think, as he is met with a strong punch to the gut that sent him a few paces away from Ragna.

He dug his feet into the ground and used his strong footing to stop himself. A few hard breaths came from him as he used his thumb to slowly wipe the blood from his mouth. He looked down to his blade to see a few cracks in it and grimaced.

"Chips in this damn sword already? The NOL really has gotten dull with their blades…" The man muttered. Turning back to Ragna, he praised him in a light tone. "You're pretty good there."

"You ain't too bad yourself…" 'Damn… He's not some flunky… This could get ugly...'

"Shit if this keeps up I won't be able to get my blade back. I need to get back and see what's been going on this last year. I need to finish this fast, while I still have time…"

Ragna was about to charge back at him but was stopped as Rachel got in between the two. He puts down his blade and asks in an irritated tone. "What the hell is it? Kinda in the middle of something if you hadn't noticed."

"I just want to see something. So shut your mouth, you impatient dog." Rachel scoffed. She was met with a snarl from Ragna but paid it no mind as she turned to the man in question. "You there… By any chance, can you tell me your name?"

"My name? Normally I'd ask why, but since your such a hottie I don't mind." He winks at her and smiles, his teeth glimmering. "My name is Kagura, Kagura Mutsuki."

"Wait… Your Kagura?" Ragna asked in mild disbelief. "So that sword we found in the storage room was…"

"What!?" Kagura threw his sword away and ran up to Ragna. He clenched both his arms tightly and shook him furiously. "My sword, you know where it is!? Where is it!? Where!?" He stopped shaking him as Ragna blinked a few times.

"It's…in a storage room down the hall…" He answers hesitantly.

"Really!? I fucking love you!" Kagura said and dashed off, leaving nothing but dust behind. It went quiet for a few seconds, but the noise returned, as they heard footsteps and looked to see him coming back, halting in front of Ragna. "By the way... No homo bro."

"No, no I got it," Ragna said.

"Good. Just making sure we're straight."

"Na we're straight."

"I just don't want to have a misunderstanding. You know what I mean right?"

"Yeah, yeah totally I got it."

"So we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good."

"Good."

"Yeah…"

...

...

...

...

...

"So um… Your sword?"

"O-Oh yeah! Later!" He dashed off again, leaving Ragna confused. The sad part about that whole conversation was that was the first 'normal' conversation he'd had in years.

"So," Ragna sheathed his blade with a click and turned to Rachel. "How did you know that was, Kagura?"

"When he said he wished to find his sword. I believe there were only a few swords in there, but that one was quite special. I'm sure those prisoners can just steal anyone of those filthy swords but his was well crafted. So I took a gamble, and it seems like I was right." Rachel walks over to him and says with a cocky smirk. "Now are you happy that I'm here? If not, that battle would've continued until the guards arrived."

"No, I'm not happy you're here. But I guess I should thank you." Ragna turned and walked away.

"I suppose that is as good as any. You truly haven't changed at all have you…" Rachel looked down as a more genuine smile appeared on her face. "And I'm glad… Your still you, Ragna."

"What!? Come on rabbit let's get our asses moving!" She heard Ragna call her. Rachel walked over to him as the two continued down to the prison. They made their way to the prison sector where the prisoners were being held, running into a few guards and making quick work of them. They were nothing compared to them, mere ants. However, Rachel noticed that Ragna wasn't really going for the kill. Unlike her, who just went straight for the death blow, he seemed to be holding back on them and killing only if he had no choice. Once they were done with the next couple guards and Ragna hankedd\ his sword from the now dead guard's chest, Rachel asked out of curiosity.

"Ragna, why are you holding back? Or is this really all you're capable of?"

"Well, I don't feel like killing everyone I see. Besides what I do, and want to do is none of your damn business." Ragna growled. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at what he just said. He just rolls his eyes and started to walk away. Rachel laughed as she walked behind him, stumbling a little as she felt her breath starting to leave her.

As they walked she kept on laughing and it was getting on his last nerves. It's been nearly five minutes and she's still laughing her ass off and it was making his eye twitch. Ragna stopped and turned to her. "So what the hell is so goddamn funny? You've been laughing for a while now and I want in on the joke. Haven't laughed in eight years so I could use it."

"N-No… It's just that…even though you've been in here for over fifteen years and treated like garbage you still care for things like that. I find it funny and beyond naïve to think you still care that much." Rachel wiped her eyes and took a look at the death glare he was giving her.

"You **finished**?"

"Oh yes, I'm done," Rachel responded with fake fear. "I wouldn't want to upset the 'Grim Reaper' himself. Lest he takes my soul. Please forgive me."

"Tch." Swinging his sword, the blood on his blade splashes onto the floor with a loud splat. He swirls it a few times, and sheathes it, as he started to walk.

"Still so soft… I suppose some things don't change…" Rachel muttered as she walked after him.

"Intruders!"

"?" Ragna stopped as he heard a horde of footsteps coming his way. Looking ahead, he saw an entire squadron of NOL soldiers coming his way. With an agitated sigh, he unsheathed his blade. "You've gotta be kidding me… Let's get this over with."

Rachel walked next to him as the soldiers stopped a few feet away from them. These soldiers were different, however. Their uniforms were white instead of blue, turning Rachel's eyes to slits. "The Zero squadron hm? Interesting…"

"You will feel the wrath of the NOL. We shall eliminate the trash and vermin in this world… Starting with you two. Grim Reaper! Rachel Alucard! Prepare yourselves!" The man in the front points his blade at them. Two spearmen ran in front and readied themselves to charge as two more gunmen went on each side and took aim at them.

"How many are in the back hiding behind the front line?" Ragna asked.

"I would say about five…" Rachel answered.

"Take care of them."

"So you are going to charge straight in…aren't you…?" Rachel sighed.

The man in the front raised his hand and swung it down. "Fire!"

On his command, the gunman lined up on the sides fired on Ragna and Rachel. They ran straight and avoided the barrage of bullets. Ragna ran right for the man in command but was blocked by the spearmen. They charged at Ragna but was quickly dealt with as he cleaved the pair in half with a single swing of his massive blade. The gunman tried to fire on him, but was struck by lightning, and fell to the ground in a charred heap. Several soldiers jumped from behind the man in the front, their swords, spears, and pikes held above their heads to strike Ragna. Twirling his blade a few times in his hand, he held it backhanded, and swung upwards, sending a wave of seithr at them. It engulfed them and took them up to the ceiling as they slam against it, plummeting back down to the ground one by one, creating a body pile.

"M-Monster…" The lone soldier spoke in a quivering tone. His entire body was shaking, his feet like twigs ready to snap. "Monsters!" He quickly turned around and tried to run, but before he could even take a step, blood gushed out from his mouth. He felt all of his limbs go limp as he looked down to see a massive sword pierced his chest. Blood dripped down from the tip of the blade and onto the ground like raindrops.

"So when you're scared you run huh? Pussy." Ragna clicks his teeth and quickly pulls his blade out as the soldier fell down to the ground in a bloody heap. He swings his sword to get the blood off his blade and twirls it a few times before he sheathes it. "Worthless…"

"Heh… Hehe…!"

"Hm?" Ragna looked down to see the soldier laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Your gonna die… Soon…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Major Kisaragi… Please…avenge…us…" With that, he spoke his final words, as Ragna drove his sword right through him. Yanking his sword from the now dead soldier, he sheathed his blade with a click and turned around to see Rachel walking back over to him.

"Did that man say something?"

"Nothing important."

"So he had nothing useful either…" The vampire turned to the soldiers behind them and sighed. "Clearly information within the NOL is truly on a need to know basis. Not one of these soldiers had any decent intel."

"Then standing here is just wasting time… Come on," Ragna turned around and walked on. "Apparently reinforcement are coming… According to that asshat."

"Reinforcements…? I wonder who would they send…?"

* * *

"…How interesting."

A single ship made passage through the open waters. In that ship, a man sat alone at his desk in his cabin with a lantern on to illuminate the room. Hands folded on the desk and eyes closed, he repeated his mission.

"Apprehend Rachel Alucard and the supposed Grim Reaper and take them into custody… Deal with any, and all prisoners with no mercy." His eyes open to reveal a brilliant emerald green. His hair a light blond with two strands coming down the sides of his face. He wore a blue jolting sapphire jacket and white Japanese styled shirt with tights underneath.

He pushed his chair back and stood up, as he put the light out of the lantern and walked out from his cabin. Making his way up to the deck of the ship, he looked to see an island coming into view. The man heard footsteps and turned his attention to them as a woman in a blue coat and burette with brown hair and red eyes walks out. Taking a hard step down, she saluted him.

"Sir! All preparations are complete. We are ready to depart at any time."

"Excellent. Now make sure to be well rested. I do not want anyone weighing me down. Once we go inside, consider all other parties to be our enemies."

"Yes, sir!" The woman solutes him once more and walks back inside, leaving him by himself.

The blond haired man lets out a sigh, as he turns back to the island. "Honestly… This is utterly ridiculous. What is so important about bringing in this so called 'Grim Reaper'? He is nothing, but trash. But, I am not one to ask questions. Simply to complete the missions assigned to me."

Their ships finally reached the island and docks at the port. The blond haired man got off, followed by several squadrons. Once on the island, he was met by several guards as they saluted him.

"Greetings, Major Kisaragi. I'm sure you're already aware of the situation."

"Yes, I am. Don't bother filling me in and make sure the injured are taken care of." The man spoke sternly as they saluted him and ran off. Another sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at the massive prison. "It is time for my mission to begin… And I shall complete it without fail."

* * *

Ragna and Rachel walked down several floors, finally making it to the bottom. Opening the door in front of them and walking in, they themselves in the prison sector. Man, beast, and daemon resided within the cells. Some of them were gripping the gates, trying to break out, while others were cuddled up in a corner, rocking back and forth weeping. Just goes to show you what this place could do to you.

He makes his way to the center of the room. Once in the center, he unsheathes his blade and raised it up. With a yell stabbed it into the ground as a loud shing rang through the prison as all the prisoner's eyes turned to him. Seeing that he had all their attention, he began.

"Alright! I'm busting you all out of here!"

"What!?" A prisoner gasped.

"Are you serious!?" Another one gasped as conversation filled the room.

"I am! If you all want to get out of here, I'll release the gates!" Ragna claimed.

"And get killed? I think the only ones who got out of here alive was that Mad dog Azrael and Iron Tager. And they didn't even bust themselves out. Some guy came and got him. I think his name was… Relius Clover."

The name rang in Rachel's ear, making the corner of her lips etch in distaste. "That man was here? Relius… But why would he release the Mad dog of all people? I do not like this…"

"So you guys want to be cooped up in here forever!? You don't care what they do to you anymore and are just willing to accept your lives, as nothing, but trash!? Well, screw that! If you guys want to stay here and waste away that's fine. But how about once in your lives you grow a pair of fucking balls, and fight!"

The prison grew quiet for a few seconds until it was filled with cries of victory and resolve.

"Yeah, he's right! Fuck these guys!" A prisoner yelled.

"They can kiss my ass! Let's fucking do this! I'll show those pussies what happens when you fuck with the wrong beastkin!" Another shouted.

"I need to go see my family again! I can't stay here!" Another one said.

"Alright." Ragna turned to Rachel, his glare giving her the ok. She snapped her fingers as magic circles appeared on the steel bars for a second, then disappear in that same instant. As soon as they did, the prisoners ran out like a mob, passed them, and went up the stairs where they came from.

As all the cells were finally cleared out, Ragna and Rachel made their way across the room and out the door into another room. They look to see a ladder, and climb up it, making their way up to the top. Once they got to the top of the ladder, they made a right, running down the dark, narrow corridor. As they ran, they looked to see two guards as the guards drew their swords.

"Escapees!"

"Damn it…!" Ragna drew his sword and grabbed it firmly with both hands. The two guards swung at him, but he ducked low and dodged their swings. With a hard step, he does a heavy swing and cleaves through both guards, cutting them cleanly in half with a loud shing. The soldier's bodies sprayed blood like a sprinkler as their upper bodies slid from their lower bodies with a wet, sloppy, slosh.

The two guards fell to the ground in a heap as their blood made a large red pool that spread across the floor. Ragna swung his sword to get the blood from his blade as the red liquid made a curved splash on the floor. Sheathing his blade, they continued, making sharp turns from corner to corner to try and get to the watchtower before the prisoners were wiped out.

They come to an intersection with four different pathways. Rachel looked down all of them and ran right as Ragna followed. Arriving at a staircase going up, the duo ran up the swirling staircase. The staircase continued on for what felt like forever, but it finally ended as they came to a door. Opening it, they find themselves outside, and up high. Walking out, they scanned their surrounding to see there were no guards.

"So this is it huh…?" Ragna said as the two walk over to the edge and look to see a pathway below. It was just like those two guards were talking about.

"It seems like the path has really given way… I suppose that rope will do nothing for us now." Rachel said.

"Then we'll improvise." Ragna looked to the side as his arm morphed into a massive claw. Rachel wondered just what this mad man had in store and shifted her gaze to what drew his attention.

"...You can't be serious…"

"What if I am?" Ragna jumped off towards the path at the large mountain at the side. He dug his massive claw in the rock and began to lose speed as he made his way down. On his way down, he hit a ledge and lost grip on the rock as he fell the rest of the way down, hitting the ground with a loud thud and bouncing a few times.

With a grunt, he slowly got back on his two feet and winced at the pain of his now broken left arm. Hissing his teeth in pain, he walked over to the massive wall of rock he just came plummeting down from and rammed his left arm into it. A loud cracking sound was heard aside from his painful yell. A few obscenities leave his lips as he works out his arm.

"Good… I can still fight."

"Ragna, you're quite the impatient child." A light female voice was heard as his face scrunched in displeasure. He looked up to see Rachel coming down slowly, her umbrella opened and her dress fluttering in the wind that blew under her. In graceful form, both feet touched the ground as her umbrella morphed back into a cat. "If you had just waited two seconds, I could have flown us down."

"I didn't want to wait for you."

"Such an idiot..." Rachel sighed.

"Like hell, I care what you think of me. Come on." Rachel just shrugged and walked beside him, the two making their way down the path to another section of the prison. They open the door and head in, but they felt something strange here. There was an odd pressure ahead of them. And they weren't friendly.

"What the hell is that… Someone below us… And they ain't fuckin' around."

"Proceed with caution… However, this feeling is quite familiar." Rachel mumbled.

"Whoever they are we'll just blow past them. Come on Rabbit." Ragna motions his hand for her to follow as the two walk down the empty hallway, looking around to see not only dead guards but dead beasts and humans, lying in pools of blood with what seemed to be slash marks going down and across their bodies. Whoever did this was no amateur and was probably up ahead.

"Damn… I just felt a chill down my spine… I guess some things are never simple…"

They walk down a flight of stairs as they find themselves in a rather spacious room. Ragna and Rachel stopped, as they felt whoever this cumbersome air came from was getting closer. Out of the blue, a beastkin came in covered in scars, the same ones they saw before from the other side of the room.

"Guess that's their welcome gift... How thoughtful." Ragna said sarcastically.

Footsteps clapped on the floor, and got closer, and closer, as the suspense made it hard to breathe. Soon, a deadly and almost chilling atmosphere found itself beside the two, as a drop of sweat trickled down Ragna's face.

"They're here…"

"No shit…"

Up ahead, a silhouette came into view. The darkness that shrouded the figure vanished, the light revealing him. The man had blond hair with two strands of hair coming down the sides and a long katana sheathed in a blue sheath in hand came into view with several guards with them. Ragna's eyes widened, as he took the man in. His glare was that of a rapiers strike, cold and desolate. It was so sharp it felt like it could pierce his soul faster than the blade he held in hand. However, this man was no ordinary man.

"N-No way… You're…!"

"So you must be the one that's been causing so much trouble. The Grim Reaper… And wielder of one of the legendary grimoires…" His voice was stern and full of authority. It had a chilling tone. One that could freeze a daemon in their place. The man took a few steps ahead of the soldiers and puts a hand on the hilt of his blade. Jin spotted Rachel and scowled at her. "You… You served as his right hand… Why would you defect? But I suppose a vampire is a vampire… You leech off one to go to another."

"Watch who you speak to peasant." Rachel sent a deadly glare his way, but he was unfazed. She soon turned her attention to Ragna, seeing his facial expression was that of pure disbelief.

"Jin… I-Is that you Jin...?"

"Oh? So you know of me?"

"So you are…" Ragna clenched his teeth and read the mood clearly; he didn't know who he was. It might've been from the after shock of that night, but if he recalled he was the only one left, so how was he here? Right now wasn't really the time to be figuring this out, so he just swallowed a lump down his throat, and spoke. "No, I don't… Your name just came up a few times while I was locked up in here… That's all."

"Very well. I shall introduce myself then." The man slowly drew his blade and began. "I am Major, Jin Kisaragi of the NOL Praetorian guard. Now… Who might you be?"

"The Grim Reaper… I don't have a name. At least not one that you would remember..."

"…" Rachel saw the pure amount of hurt in his voice as it cracked a little. She didn't say anything as it would only make things worse.

"I see… So 'Grim Reaper' then? Quite the name. Though I suppose what you've been doing has earned you that name. It fits you. Now, as for you… Rachel Alucard." He shifts his attention from Ragna to Rachel as his eyes turn to menacing slits. "You are charged with several counts of murder… Assault of an officer, breaking and entering. Along with robbery, obstruction of the law, and now aiding in a criminals escape. Not to mention your earlier counts of manslaughter, and arson. What do you have to say for yourself after hearing all of this?"

"I have nothing to say." The vampire spoke with no interest in her tone.

"Hmph. I suppose a vampire has no morals to follow. A walking corpse is all you are, you filthy piece of shit. It makes me sick just being in the same room, as a blood sucking bitch like you."

"Oh? Am I now…? Tell me. Do you care what happens to your subordinates? I am feeling quite parched from this long and perilous journey... Now come…" A sadistic smile slowly appeared on her features as her fangs were now visible to the human eye. Her eyes widened, shifting from its usual calm and almost uncaring gaze to a more animalistic and beast like stare. "I'll mince your bones as you fall before me…"

Nothing, but murderous intent oozed from Rachel. The gaze she had was like a beast, just waiting to be released. The air she exhibited made the entire room drop several degrees, her very presence toxic. Though, the Major stood unfazed and exhibited his own levels of tension that matched hers.

"Sir! What should we do?" The guard on his left asked.

"Apprehend them and take the vampire in for questioning. I shall deal with the, so called, 'Grim Reaper'. But be careful. She is not one to be underestimated." Jin warned. The soldiers gave him a nod as he turned his attention back to his target: Ragna.

An icy mist swirled around his feet and rose up like a vortex. Ragna gripped the handle of his blade and hesitantly drew it. Without warning, Jin vanished and reappears in front of Ragna. With a hard glare thrown, he swung his blade down at him, intending to cut the Reaper in half. Ragna quickly raised his blade up to defend against the heavy blow as their blades slammed against each other with a loud clang.

"Shit…" Ragna swung his sword with the full extension of his arm as Jin leapt a few paces away from him. Planting his foot firmly onto the ground, he rushed the Major. Jin met him halfway as the two exchanged swing after swing, sparks flying and the sound of clashing metal resonating through their ears.

Jin's form was elegant and balanced. Each swing was controlled and his expression was calm and as cool as ice. Almost too calm. Sent a chill down Ragna's spine as Jin stared at him with his cold and almost uncaring gaze. Jin soon went more on the offensive as he swung his sword in all different directions.

Seeing that he was getting overwhelmed, Ragna went for a kick to push him back. The Major jumps over his foot, and while still in midair, he sends a strong kick to Ragna's cheek and follows up with a blast of snow.

Ragna swung his sword as hard as he could and dispelled the wave of snow. He raised his fist high in the air, and with a yell, slammed it down to the ground as seithr erupted out. Jin blocked with his arms as a few small rocks hit him. The moment he opened back his eyes, he was met with a bone shattering punch to his face.

The punch sent him bouncing a few times on the floor before he used his hands and jumped back up. An odd sound rang in his ears; the sound of rocks moving. Jin looked to see a massive wave of seithr ripping the ground and coming his way. Putting a hand forward, the wave froze right in front of his palm and shattered in that same instant.

The moment the ice shattered, he saw Ragna was nowhere and quickly looked up to see he took to the air. Forming a bow and arrow of ice in hand, he aimed it at Ragna. A crystal like aura surrounded the Major as he prepared his shot. Ragna surrounded his blade in seithr and held it hold his head, before bringing it down.

 **"Nightmare Edge!"**

 **"Moonsong!"**

Jin let his arrow fly and Ragna brought his blade down as the two powers clashed. The attack caused the two to be encased in an icy mist, as their attacks canceled each other out. Jumping from the mist, Ragna watched as it clears and Jin became visible to him.

'It...really is you...' There was no mistaking it. It really was Jin. Even with his venomous gaze, he could tell that this was him.

His beloved little brother.

'I can't believe it…' Ragna chuckled to himself. 'Can't even call him a crybaby anymore.' He couldn't help but crack a smile as he stared at the Major. 'You've grown… Jin…' His head slowly hung as his eyes shut in solemn thought. 'You don't need me anymore...'

"Do not hold yourself back… Because I will show you no mercy!" Jin summoned forth a bevy of ice blades as they surrounded him. With his command, they all fire at once.

They came in hot and Ragna didn't have enough time to dodge, so he stood his ground and swung his sword left and right to shatter the incoming blades. With a yell, he swung down and shattered the last one and quickly looked up to see Jin right above him.

Thinking quickly, he swung his hand up, as seithr erupted from his arm, blasting Jin and sending him up towards the ceiling. Spinning a few times, he landed on the ceiling feet first and came back down at blazing speeds back onto Ragna. His sword slammed onto his, the ground below Ragna cracking a little from the force of the blow. He saw a smirk on Jin's face and heard something strange. It almost sounded like icicles. Eyes widening, he looked to see an icy mist building up around his palm.

"Ah, shit!"

"Too late." A frigid wave of ice shot from his hand as the powerful wave of ice carried him across the room and slammed him into the wall, creating an icy cloud of mist. As the mist cleared, the Major gazed at the massive hole in the wall he created and rubble on the ground that buried the Reaper. He began to walk over to it, but stopped as he saw it starting to move. A hand shot up from the burial of rocks and soon pushed away as Ragna was back on his feet, panting slightly.

"Hmph. This can not be all you have?"

"Sorry, but I can't waste my time with you any longer." Ragna grabbed his blade with both hands as seithr encased they large slab of metal.

"Ah. Finally deciding to fight. Very well then…" Jin sheathed his blade and broke down into a meaning stance. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Some rubble came from the ground but soon stopped as the ground stopped shaking. With a vicious glance, Ragna charged at him as Jin did the same.

Their swords clashed as a massive swirl of power swirled around the room. A mixture of seithr, ice, and snow raged through the floor. They swung their swords at blinding speeds, each clash tore the floor under them and caused the very ground to shake. They mixed their blade swings with a bevy of kicks and punches.

Ragna sent waves of seithr and seithr enhanced attacks at Jin, as Jin sent waves of ice, and snow at him to counter. They did their best to get the other to either slip or lose their stamina, but by how they were going, it didn't seem like that was gonna happen.

Ragna swung his sword in a downwards head-splitter but was blocked as Jin raised his sheath to counter it. The Major swung his sword upwards to cleave through Ragna, but he managed to jump back quick enough to avoid it. Once he touched the ground, Jin sprung after him, almost like a swallow. He swung quick, yet control swings at him. As Jin swung left and right, Ragna managed to dodge and deflect his blows. Having enough of playing defense, Ragna switched to offense as he stood his ground for Jin's next attack. Jin swung down hard as Ragna swung his blade upwards. The force of the blow made Jin wince a little as his footing became unstable. Ragna saw this and quickly moved in to strike him, but Jin quickly adjusted himself and spun his body around as he was right side up midair. He swung his blade upwards, seeing Ragna wasn't prepared for him to be so quick. However, Ragna raised a wave of seithr from the ground as Jin's blade collided with the black wave. The wave blasted Jin back a few feet, as he uses his feet to stop himself.

The Grim Reaper dug his feet into the ground and rushed Jin, his right arm surrounding in seithr. He jumped up high in the air and reeled his fist back, ready to strike. Jin quickly raised a wall of ice to block as Ragna's fist collided with the wall. The ice slowly began to crack, and with a yell, he broke through and came down to the ground as he and Jin were encased in a cloud of dust. Several sparks came from the dust cloud, and with one loud clash sound the two jumped out from the dust cloud, landing a few feet away from each other.

Ragna held his sword backhanded, as his body surrounded itself in seithr. Jin sheathes his blade, and gets into a stance, as his body surrounded itself in a blue aura. With a yell, Ragna swings his sword upwards, as a massive wave of seithr at Jin as Jin unsheathes his blade, sending a massive wave of snow and ice to counter. The two powers collided, causing the room to be surrounded in mist. Ragna covered his face as the mist came his way. He removed his hand and looked around, cursing as he couldn't even see two feet in front of him.

"Damn it! I can't see jack shit…"

"Too bad…" Ragna heard his voice from all around and curses.

"Shit… This ain't good…"

It went silent, not even a breath was heard. Ragna's ear tingled as he quickly whipped around and put his blade up as something hit it. He then ducked as a blade cleaved through the air and jumped back as a foot came out of the mist. With a strong swing of his sword, Ragna cleared the mist and looked around to see Jin was nowhere and Rachel was finishing off the last soldier. Then he realized where Jin went.

"Son of a… Rachel! Look out!"

"What?" Rachel turned to see Jin right in front of her and quickly jumped. A massive bolt of lightning came down as Jin jumps back to avoid it.

"It seems that I may have to take some drastic measures…" Jin looked over to see almost every single soldier Rachel was fighting was on the ground in a charred heap except for one. He motioned the soldier to come to his side as she ran over to him. Stopping next to him, the female soldier saluted him.

"Just give the word sir. My life is yours…"

"Very well. I thank you for your loyal service." Jin motions her to run to Ragna, as the soldier swings her sword down. Ragna raises his blade up and easily knocks it out of the soldier hand. What the soldier did next was unexpected.

"What the…!?" She wrapped her arms around Ragna and held him in place. "Hey, you dumbass let me go!" He tried to wiggle himself out, but it was useless. He couldn't escape the soldier's grasp.

"Major!" The soldier called out.

"Oh, you're kidding!" Ragna gasped and looked to see Jin create a massive sword of ice and launch it at him at blinding speeds. Cursing and gritting his teeth, he grabbed the soldier and jumped out the way of the attack with the soldier in arms. Once he landed he knocked her out with a punch to the stomach as she fell onto the ground with a thud. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"She graciously accepted it. All I did was grant her wish. What I do not understand is why you saved her—?" Jin was suddenly hit with massive force, which sent crashing into the wall. He came down with a thud and looked to see Rachel with her hand in front of her, glaring daggers at him.

"I believe that is payback for mouthing me off earlier."

"Dirty witch…" Jin growled and stood back up. "I'll have your head for that y—!" Jin stopped his threat and gasped, his eyes widened. "What!? T-that's impossible…!" Ragna and Rachel felt something odd. They turn their heads to see the dead soldiers Rachel defeated were being consumed by a dark aura. Their bodies turned a shadowy purple, as their eyes opened, and glowed red.

"Shit! They're turning into daemons!" Ragna ran over to them, trying to finish them before they turned into daemons, but was knocked back by the incredible wave of power that came up from them. "You have got to be shitting me…!"

"This should not be possible. All members of the NOL were bathed in the protective barrier of the Tsukuyomi… How is he turning into a daemon…?" Jin questioned.

They watch as the once normal men and woman fuse almost as they dissolved into seithr and formed a massive beast. It's eyes a devilish red color, glowing and surrounded by a dark gaseous substance. The air around them became thick with this fog, making the air toxic.

"Shit… The bastards going berserk!"

A quick figure ran passed Ragna as he looked to see Jin bolt towards the monster and slash its foot. The monster screamed in pain as it swings its tail and knocked Jin across the room. The Major hits the wall back first and came down with a heavy thud.

"Jin!" Ragna called to him.

"Pay attention, you idiot!"

Ragna turned to see the monster running up to him and quickly jumped out of the way. The monster raised its claw up and sent a blast of seithr up at him. Ragna used his blade to defend against it but was knocked to the ground, creating a small crater on impact. The beast started to charge again but was stopped, as it was engulfed in a massive bolt of lightning. The beast wailed in pain, as the electricity struck it without mercy.

The bolt of lightning finally stopped as the beast fell down to the ground, electricity sparking throughout its body. With a grunt, Ragna stood up and observed at the downed beast.

"Now what would you do without me Ragna?" he heard a cocky voice say, as he turned to its source, and found Rachel smiling at him.

"I would be saner than I already am. So I think I would do quite a bit."

"Sarcasm… I suppose that part of you will never die." Rachel sighed

"Whatever." Ragna turned his attention to the unconscious Jin and made his way over to him. Before he was even half way there, he heard massive footsteps and turned to see the beast charging at him. However, he didn't have any time to dodge or draw his sword. The monster was far too close for that.

"Ragna!" Rachel quickly appeared in front of him with a burst of speed and held him with her back turned to the monster.

The beast swung its massive claw down, leaving three massive slash wounds on her back. With a yell, Rachel quickly turned around and brought a heavy bolt of lightning on the monster. The beast wailed, the massive lightning bolt rippling through its body. It's screaming ceased once the electricity caused it to blow. The shock of the attacked knocked the two back as they slammed into the wall hard. They come down on the ground with a loud thud as the room filled with silence.

It took him a few seconds to regain himself as the hard collision with the wall was like a flash grenade. His ears were ringing, as was his head. The throbbing pain that coursed through his brain was even worse than a migraine. Rising up from the ground and pressing his right hand onto his forehead, he rose to his knees and opened his eyes with a pained grunt.

His vision was playing tricks on him as he could see doubles. Even his hands were duplicates. The ringing sound in his ear was soon lifted as his sight became clearer.

Shaking his head again, his vision returned to normal. Looking to his right he saw Jin still unconscious. He didn't seem too badly injured which set him at ease, even if only a little bit. "Damn… That fucking daemon… Shit, I need to—Gah!" Ragna fell forward, catching himself by placing both hands on the ground. "Son of a…!"

His body definitely wasn't up for moving. If the guards catch him, he was done for. There was no way he would be able to fight in a condition like this. Hell, he didn't even have the strength to lift his sword as he began to feel the weight of it on his waist.

"We need to get out of here…" Pushing himself higher off the ground, he rose to a knee and looked around for Rachel. "Hey, Rabbit… We need to—" The Reapers felt his hands were soaking wet, and took them off the floor. "What is this…? Wait…I know this smell." Ragna took in the aroma and the color of his soaked gloves.

It was blood. And lots of it.

"The hell is this…? Is this mine…? No… It's not… It's also not Jin's..." The blood was like a stream, as it seemed to have run down to him from the source. "But if it's not mine… And it's not Jin's... Then where is this coming from—?" He turned to the source and stopped. His eyes shot open to the scene before him.

He was right. The blood wasn't his, and it wasn't Jin's.

It was Rachel's.

She was laying on her back in a pool of blood, the pool only getting bigger and bigger as she was practically bathing in it. Her once silky blonde hair was stained in the deep crimson liquid and her black dress was now a dark red. Her familiars had tears in their eyes as they called out to her. He wondered just how he wasn't able to hear them, and even now, he couldn't hear them right. His body was still sluggish and that hard hit on the wall was the main cause of it.

"Ra…chel…? What's…?"

With a grunt, he tried to get back up but falls back to his knees. With no other choice, he crawled over to the injured Rachel. Finally reaching her, he puts a hand under her head and lifted her upper body. Only now did he see the true severity of her wounds as his eyes widened in disbelief. Even though the pool of blood was a dead give away, his mind didn't notice the real situation. Getting a hold of himself, and pushing the pain aside, he calls out to her.

"Rachel!"

After a few seconds, she groaned and opened her eyes slowly. Her head turned to him slowly, her head struggling to move and face him. Laying her cheek on his palm, she spoke in a weakened tone. "What would…you do without me…?" She hacked up some blood and caught her breath. "I guess…we shall soon see…"

"What…?" Ragna looked to see heavy bags under her eyes, her large crimson orbs becoming lifeless as the gleam began to leave them. "Why the hell did you get in the way?"

"I believe I told you… To wait until we escaped…now didn't I? You don't listen…do you Ragna?" She said wearily as a playful smile slowly found its way onto the dying girl's lips. The vampire felt her hand in some liquid and turned it over to see it was red and dripping. "Blood… And on my dress… Worse...in my hair... How…revolting… Wouldn't you agree…Ragna?"

"Don't fucking joke around right now damn it!"

"Ha… Haha… You are quite the odd one…" She moved her hand weakly up to his face, as she rests her blood stained hand on his cheek. "Not too long ago… You were ready to put my life to an end. Is… Is this not what you wanted? Was I able to grant your wish?" Her voice and her lip started to shiver as her body got colder.

"You damn Rabbit! Don't fuck with me right now!"

"You know… It's funny… I can barely hear you… I have always wanted to make myself deaf to your obnoxious yelling… I suppose I can finally…get my wish…" Letting out another chuckle, her smile fades as she spoke. "The order that grips this world… You may be able to…destroy it…" She forced out every word with what little strength she had left. Taking breaks to catch her breath so she could continue on. "…I wished for you to escape… To…destroy this foul order that plagues this world…" Rachel reached into her dress and pulled out a silver bracelet. "The world… I have truly come to love…"

"This…!" Ragna gasped and slowly took it from her. He looked at it well as his eyes widened. "This belonged…to my mother! But…how did you…!?"

"I could do nothing... Nothing at all… Your mother…and your father… I could not save them… And…in the end… I couldn't even save my—" Her eyes shot open as she vomited up blood. The red liquid gushed out from her mouth and splashed onto the floor.

"Rachel!"

Coughing and wheezing a few times, she caught her breath and continued on. "You... You would have died that night…but your mother asked me to… Make sure….you survived… You and Jin…" His mouth opened to speak, but he couldn't. He was in too much of a shock at her words. Clenching his shirt, she got his attention once more. "Ragna… Time is short… I would like to tell you everything…but I do not have the luxury of time… You must…escape this place…"

"Princess!" Nago and Gii called out to her.

"Please shut up… The last thing I wish to hear…are your annoying voices…" Rachel hacks up blood and takes a breath. "I truly do not wish to hear…those annoying voices of yours… They…hurt my ears…"

"The hell is your problem…? What is wrong with you...!? Do you fucking get off on this!?" Ragna grit his teeth as his body began to shake. "First you trap me in this fucking hell hole," he clenched her arm tight as pure rage now encompassed his voice. "And now you go and die for me!? God, what goes through that head of yours!? What the hell do you want from me!?"

"I suppose…you will never know. Sometimes… I don't…even know...myself..." Rachel's voice grew weak and distant. So weak, Ragna could barely hear it anymore. Her eyes flickered as Ragna's visage became more and more vague, his voice becoming distant. It was like the echo of the inside of a tunnel. Her eyes shut completely as his once distant voice, vanished completely.

Rachel found herself in darkness. Ensnared by it and unable to move. She lost all feeling in her limbs, all the strength she had was gone. She couldn't even open her eyes anymore.

She felt nothing...

She heard nothing...

She could see nothing...

Rachel never expected to die in a place like this. This place was unbefitting for her, but there was nothing she could do about it as she could no longer hear the voice of another. All she saw was darkness and all she heard was silence.

Cold...

Dead...

Silence...

However, she did taste something. Which was odd, but what made it even more peculiar was its taste. Rachel still couldn't open her eyes, or move a muscle, but she felt like she was doing that on her own. Like her soul has been split from her body itself. Something odd was happening to her. She figured she was dead, but still was able to think and felt that aching pain she had went away and questioned if she was being healed somehow. The only ones in the room with her was Ragna, her two familiars, and an unconscious Jin, so she figured Ragna was doing something. But just what was he doing? And what was this warm feeling that ran through her limp body. This was alien to her. It was warm; there was no other way to describe the taste. But one thing was for certain about all this was she was alive and only one thought ran through her mind. One way to describe the taste lingering in her mouth.

'It's…sweet…'

 **And I'm ending it right here. Maybe not the best place, but meh. Sorry, but this chapter didn't post right, so I had to post it another time. So after playing Tales of Berseria and enjoying the HELL out of it, I wrote this. Also, Velvet really does have a move that is almost exactly the same as Ragna's DD. Who would'a thought. I wrote this and re-wrote it several times. I wanted to try and get the gritty feeling down, but still, keep the unique personalities of these characters. I've got the first chapter down and there will be more to come. I got some pretty good reviews last chapter that read they like it, and some gave me pointers. I hope I was able to follow them and kept this story entertaining for you all, at least whoever reading. Well, anyways I'll see you all next chapter.**

 **Chapter 2: Memory**

 **Revised 8/16/17**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Memory**

A memory…

A thought lost to time…

One filled with not only happiness, but sadness and regret…

A memory…of a single little girl…

One she treasured….

And a time she could no longer return to…

But she was not a normal human girl, she wasn't even human. Her people were scorned by man, treated as savages, and barbarians. To humans, they were no different than beastkin.

These, were the vampires.

Living in the shadows of the world, they avoid the humans that could do them harm. With the long line of violence between the two races, things such as this are bound to happen. Thankfully, they came to an agreement, as the vampires moved to the darker parts of the world, vowing never to harm humans again. One such family of vampires were the Alucard.

A bright moon hung over a large estate that sat behind a massive rose garden, the beautiful bouquet lighting up the rather bland estate. This is the home of the Alucard family. Within this large home—if you could call it a 'house'—two people lived. One such resident was outside, sitting on the ground in the middle of the rose garden sipping tea. She had on a black frilly dress and a rather large bow that was tied on her collar, her hair tied in pigtails by two black ribbons, and her eyes a shimmering crimson.

Her small hands held her tea and saucer, as she took sips of the warm liquid that filled her cup. She removes it from her lips and looks down into the cup at her own reflection. A look of dissatisfaction was present on the young girl's features. Something was ailing her, thought it was nothing life threatening, at least to a normal person. Though to her, it was a matter of life a death.

She was bored.

She had nothing to do.

All she really did was toy with her familiars, who were a big black cat, and small fat flying bat, which isn't really something to keep you entertained for long. The only other thing she did was have tea and converse with her father, Clavis Alucard, the other resident of the estate.

She did not have any qualms with their peaceful life, she just wished to meet some other people. She wanted to go out and see what the world looked like. Though it wasn't like she has never seen the world outside of her home. It just wasn't the best experience for her. However, that didn't stop her curiosity and being shielded from the world only seemed to fuel her curiosity.

Though one day she got her wish.

Her boredom reached its peak, as she finally succumbed to her desires. She snuck out from her father's sight and went into a town a good ways away from her home. Thankfully, she managed to learn teleportation magic from her father well enough that she can at least travel short distances. In that town, she met a boy and his family. She finally found someone else to talk to other than her familiars, but their meeting wasn't like destiny or something sweet.

"So who the hell are you supposed to be?" a small boy asked in a rather brash tone. He had blond spiky hair, a white short sleeve shirt, and black short. His face was scrunched up in irritation, as he did not hide his emotion of anger. It was written all over his face. "And who do you think you are picking on my little brother?"

"Who am I?" the blond haired girl repeated his question. Her voice was light, and the way she spoke was a bit old-fashioned, and almost chivalrous. "Why should I give my name to some peasant?"

"Peasant!? Alright, listen here… Whoever you are! You don't just bump into someone, and start mouthin' off and talkin' shit because you got a small stain on your dress. Grow up." The boy looked next to him at another boy who was cowering. "Jin, are you ok?"

"Yes, brother… Thank you."

"No problem." His anger left him momentarily, as he spoke in a lighter tone. "Don't worry I've got your back." The boy smiled, as Jin smiled back at him.

"Grow up? Me?" the girl repeated the question in confusion. "I think it is you who needs to grow up. You curse, and carry on like a little brat who forget their home training."

"Shut up, you stupid rabbit." The boy spat.

"Rabbit?" the girl furrowed a brow at the name. "What did you just…?"

"Those two damn ribbons on your head. If you didn't come close up I'd think you were some wild rabbit that lost her way." The boy growled.

"Why I never!" Rachel's brow began to twitch with irritation, as her eyes shot daggers at the boy. Never in her life has she been called such a thing, nor has her collected nature ever waved. But to be insulted like this was unacceptable, as a fire was lit within her soul. "How dare you call me that! Have you never been taught how to treat a lady, you worthless pig?"

"I've been taught. I just don't care." The boy said bluntly. "At least not to show manners to someone like you."

"As expected from one of the lower class. You truly are a pi-no… Ingrate. Yes, I think that fits you perfectly. As your vulgar tone is that of a dog that can only bark, but never have the audacity to bite."

"Why I outta—!"

"Alright, Ragna, that's enough dear." A woman with long blond hair, and green eyes said softly.

"Come on son. You need to treat women with more respect." A man stood beside her, sighing and shaking his head. His tone was gruff and masculine, but it also had a bit of a sarcastic tone to it, so it was a little difficult to tell if he was being serious or not. The man had black spiky hair with dark colored eyes, and a bit of a toned figure. "You remind me of myself when I was a kid… And that ain't a good thing." He pats the boy on the back and gave him a little push to the girl in front of him. "Come on now. Apologize."

The boy groaned in protest, as a tint of red slowly came across his cheeks. "I'm...sorry for calling you rabbit… And for disrespecting you like that… It was a bad first impression."

"Well… I suppose I should apologize as well. I did not mean to cause your younger brother harm. I lost my temper. It was not very ladylike of me." The girl took a breath to calm herself down. Getting her composure back, she gives the blond haired boy her name. "My name is Rachel… And yours?"

"It's Ragna…" he responded.

"Aw, see that? Now Ragna, you show her around ok?" the woman says.

"What!? Why!?"

"Oh?" the woman cocks her head and gave Ragna a rather chilling smile. "Is there a problem sweetie?" the woman asked. Ragna, Jin and the black haired man shivered, as they stared at the woman's uncomfortable smile. The temperature around them went down several degrees, as her smile shook them to their cores. The spiky haired boy shook his head quickly.

"Nope! No problem at all! I'll get right on it!" His voice cracked, as he shook in fear. Drops of sweat poured down his face, as it dropped down off his chin.

Afterward, she, Ragna, and Jin went around the village. There was not much to show, but to her, it was all new experiences. Her eyes were opened wide in amazement as she was shown around. Ragna didn't really get what was so special about a few cows or shops. However, to her, it was something brand new. Though, the name of the village really caught her attention.

"Woodland? Why such an odd name?" Rachel asked as the trio made their way out of the village and into the forest behind it.

"I couldn't even tell you." Ragna shrugged. "I guess some guy decided to name it that because we're next to this small forest."

"It seemed like this person lacked imagination." Rachel said. "Reminds me of a certain idiot I am not acquainted with."

"Oh yeah…?" Ragna forced a smile, as his brow twitched. "You mind TELLING me who this idiot is?"

"Oh, you know them quite well. He has blond spiky hair,"

"Grr…"

"A very vulgar attitude,"

"Grr…!"

"And a stupid face."

"Alright, that's it!" Ragna yelled as he lunged at her to grab her, but she quickly sidestepped out the way. She giggled a little to the boy's anger, which only served to piss him off even more.

"What is the matter? You seem upset. Did I do something wrong?" Rachel asked in playful ignorance.

"When I get my hands on you…! Your dress won't be the only thing stained with dirt…!"

"Oh, my!" Rachel let out a gasp, as she ran off.

"Get back here!" Ragna yelled as he ran after Rachel. He raised his fist and swung it in rage, as he yelled at her. "When I get my hands on you I'm gonna shove you back in the hole you popped out of!" Ragna threatened.

"Oh no," Rachel turned around to him and put her hands up. "Please, show mercy. I am so scared."

"Oh, you're gonna get it…!" Ragna quickly picked up speed as Rachel did the same. Jin quickly ran after them as it turned into a wild goose chase, with Rachel making Ragna—quite literally—eat her dust. Having power over wind is one she now realized just how fabulous of a power it was to have.

After tiring Ragna out and getting a few of his usual snark thrown at her, they come to what looked like a sanctuary. It seemed as if a small temple once stood here, but it was in shambles. There was a large hole in the middle in the middle of the sanctuary, almost like a bottomless pit. However, they really didn't care much about it or pay it any mind. The trio walked to the ledge and looked out over the edge.

The girl's eyes shot open, as she was captivated by the spectacular view before her. From where they stood on the hill, they could see far and wide, as the three looked over the lush green forest below.

"I always come here with Jin to chill… It's a pretty nice spot." Ragna told her.

"That it is. I must say this is fascinating..." Rachel said in awe.

"Hey… Brother…" Jin called out to him, as Ragna turned around to hear him out. "I'm getting a little hungry. Is it ok if we head back?"

"I guess so… Hey, Jin. You head back without me ok?" Ragna told him.

"But," Jin pouts. "I want to eat with you. Afterwards," the pouting boy looks down to the ground as he mumbled. "I thought we could play…"

"Jeez," Ragna puts a hand on his brother's head and pats him. "You know I'll play with you. But for today, I've gotta show her around. You know that."

"I do…but…"

"No buts alright? How about tomorrow I make something for you? Anything you want." Ragna offered.

"Really!?" Jin smiled.

"Yeah. Now go home for now Jin. Mom and dad are probably shitting bricks worrying about you."

"Oh, you're right!" Jin gasped as he started to run back into the forest. "See you later brother!" He waves to them, as Ragna smiled and waved back to him, as he watched him run out of view. Rachel took notice of his caring and warm smile. It wasn't a smile she saw him with today and was quite new to her. She didn't even know he could make a smile like that.

"You seem to truly love your little brother." Rachel said.

"Of course I do…" Ragna puts his hands in his pockets, as he kicks a small pebble a few inches away, and lets out a heavy sigh. "Damn it all…"

"Oh? You seem down. Did you want him to stay?" Rachel asked as she heard the change in his voice.

"Not that… I just…don't have the money to buy him a gift for his birthday…" he hung his head down in disappointment, as he kicked another pebble a few paces away from him. "I'm pathetic… A big brother who can't give his little brother a simple gift…" the boy took a seat on the ledge, as he hung his feet off the edge. He looks down, and closes his eyes, as he let's out a disappointed sigh. "So damn pathetic…"

"It is the thought that counts."

"?" Rachel's abrupt voice took him from his thoughts, as he turns to her and asked. "You say something?"

"It is the thought that counts, Ragna. It is an old saying." Rachel takes a seat next to him and continues. "That boy, Jin. He cares for you, and I truly doubt he cares what you get him." A breeze blows past them as it ruffles their hair, her pigtails swinging in the wind, as her bangs fell down over her face. She fixes the fault in her hair with a finger and continues. "He shall accept the gift without hesitation. And he will love it."

"How do you know that? How are you so sure?"

"Because this gift came from a loved one. He shall except because it came from you. Because it came from his beloved older brother."

"!" he stared at the girl wide eyed, as those words left her lips. "Never really thought about it like that…" Ragna looks up into the sky, as he saw a few birds flying through the empty blue sky above. "Huh," he closed his eyes, letting the wind blow passed him, as his hair danced in the breeze. "Maybe you're right…"

The two ended up spending the entire day at that hill, staring into the great empyrean, and the forest below. Rachel bided Ragna farewell, as she went back to her home. She did her best to make sure she wasn't spotted and succeeded in evading her father.

With the excruciating day she had, she quickly got herself ready for bed, taking a nice warm bath. As she bathed, she giggled a few times at the day she had.

"That boy… Ragna. Is quite the interesting human." Rachel stepped out of the bath and dried herself off. Getting to her room and walking over to her closet, she takes out her night gown. She takes the gown from the closet and lays it on her bed.

It was a silky, white, sleeveless gown, that seemed to cover her entire body. She throws the gown over her head, as the gown stopped at the top of her feet. "What a long day…" the vampire sighed to herself as she crawled into her bed and goes under the sheets.

As she laid down in her bed, she had the urge to visit that same village once more. She started to think of what her father would say, but decided to take the chance, and visit the village one more time. Just one more time, she thought.

The next day she went in search of Ragna as she, Ragna, and Jin spent the day together. Rachel found him entertaining, as his reactions to her teasing were amusing. Much more amusing then what her familiars would do, or say. She would visit again and again, but it wasn't for the village anymore.

It was just for him.

Rachel pondered over the subject and wondered just what force drove her to want to see this same boy each day. Every day she went to see him, and spend time with him. She even got to know his family, and would sometimes have dinner with them. She was surprised that Ragna was cooking one night, and tasted his dishes, as she found her taste buds explode with flavor. However, one night, she lost track of time and was caught by her father.

"Rachel! What are you thinking!?" Clavis grabs her shoulders and hugs her tightly. "You worried me to death Rachel… Why would you leave to go to the human world?" he pulls himself off his daughter, as she saw his worried look. She's never seen him so afraid in her life, and it hurt her. Taking a minute to gather herself, she spoke.

"I…wanted to see what they were like. While I was there… I met this boy…and his family."

"Rachel. I forbid you for going back." He told her in a stern tone.

"What!?" Rachel gasped wide eyed. Hearing those words, she young vampire felt sadness wash over her, as if her entire world came crashing down on her. Her heart rate escalated, as she felt it ready to jump right out of her chest.

"It is far too dangerous. You know how humans view us… I don't want anything to happen to you. Please understand. You know what happened last right?"

"…Of course… I can never forget…"

"I do this for your own protection. I don't want to lose you too… So please, do not return to that village."

Despite his warning, that same warning fell upon deaf ears, as Rachel just didn't want to part with them, or more precisely, him. Now that she knew just how fun it was she could not just leave them be. She couldn't, and she didn't want too. The next day, she snuck out once more to see, Ragna. But her normal day with him soon came to an end, as Clavis found out, and went to her directly.

Ragna, Rachel, and Jin made their way out of the village, and to their usual spot at the sanctuary on the hill. The normal arguments that broke out between Ragna and Rachel carried them all the way. Jin watched them argue, and with being left on the back burner, he tugged on Ragna's arm. The boy looked over to Jin and saw him pouting, as he asked in a concerned tone.

"Is everything alright Jin?"

"No… Not really…"

"What is it?" Ragna asks.

"You've been ignoring me this whole time…and I feel…a little…" Jin looks down, as his voice trailed off. Ragna just laughs, as he throws an arm around his shoulder, and puts him in a playful neck lock. A smile came onto Ragna's face, as he started to rub his knuckles on the whimpering boys head.

"Oh don't tell me you're getting jealous? Come on Jin you know I'll never leave ya."

"Hehe. I know brother." Jin smiled and pushed Ragna off of him.

"Oh? The kid thinks he's tough huh?" Ragna sends Jin a sinister smile, as his eyes gleamed. The smaller blond haired boy saw the look in his brother's eyes and quickly ran away, Ragna soon giving chase after his whimpering little brother.

"Get back here!"

"No!"

"Hehe." The vampire couldn't help, but giggle, as she watched the two brothers play. They soon make it to the sanctuary on the hill, but the moment they got there, Clavis arrived. Rachel gasped, as she backed up a little at the sight of him. The look he was not only silent anger, but disappointment and sadness.

"Rachel… Did I not forbid you from speaking to humans?"

"Hey. Who the hell are you old man?" Ragna asked.

"Brother…" Jin said in a worried tone.

"Jin…stay back."

"Father, I'm sorry…" Rachel apologized.

"Father!?" Ragna gasped. "So this guy's your dad?"

"Yes…" Rachel closes her eyes and folds her hands. "Please forgive me, father… I… I just…"

"You just what?"

"I just want to see the human world. I want to see what it has. Even if it's just this little village… I've seen so much already. I just couldn't stay away..." Rachel said.

"Rachel, I will say it once more. You are never to leave the manor. And you are to stay away from this boy." Authority was in both the man's eyes and tone, as he spoke. He grabs her arm, as she winces a little from his firm grasp. "I shall reprimand you later."

Before he could take her, Ragna grabbed Rachel's hand and took her from his grasp. He took a step in front of her, her hand tightly gripped in his hand, as he gave Clavis a stern glare. "Hey old man… Sorry, but she's with me."

"Ragna…"

"Ragna is your name? Sorry, but this is my daughter. Who are you to her?" Clavis asked.

"She's a friend of mine."

"A…friend…?" Rachel gasped.

"A friend hm?"

"Damn right. I don't care if you are her father… She's with me. So piss off. And if not, you're gonna have to take her by force. So if you want a piece of this, bring it old man."

"Ragna, stop." Rachel pleaded. She knew what her father was truly capable of, and if he really followed through with that threat, he wouldn't live to speak of it. "It is ok… I'll go. This way you won't get involved."

"There's no way I'm letting you go that easy." He tightens the hold on her hand, as his tone became much softer. "Just stay by me… I won't let 'em take you… I swear I'll keep you safe."

"!"

"Brave words… I must say you are one interesting human." Clavis said.

"What? Human? The hell does that mean?" Ragna asked.

"Brother… What are they talking about?" Jin asked.

"So you don't know what my daughter is do you?" Clavis asked. He saw Ragna's confused expression, as he went on with another question. "What if I told you that I was a vampire? What would you do?"

"A…vampire!?" Ragna gasped.

"Vampire!?" Jin gasped.

Ragna turned his head to Rachel, as he stared at her and asks in a shocked tone. "Is…that true? Are you one?"

Rachel didn't answer right away. She tightened her grip on Ragna's hand and swallowed a large lump down her throat before she forced herself to answer. "Yes… It is."

"I can't believe it…"

"Ragna I was going to tell you! But I didn't know how, and I—!" Rachel soon stopped her rambling as she saw there was no point to it. She looks away from him, and down onto the ground, as she closes her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"So…what will you do now?" Clavis asked. "Now that you have this knowledge. What shall you do, Ragna?"

"A vampire huh? I didn't think I'd meet one… Crazy how my day is." A smirk slowly appeared on the boys face, as he chuckled a little. "Sorry old man, but if you think I'm gonna let you take her because she some vampire then you're dead wrong. It doesn't matter if she's a human, vampire, beastkin, or a goddamn daemon. I don't care what she," she looked at Ragna in awe, as he held her hand tighter. "She's still Rachel."

"!" Rachel felt her heart jump out her chest, as her eyes widened in disbelief. Did he really just say that? She expected him to run away, and leave her, never to return again, or try to kill her himself. But instead, he chose to stand by her. It caught her by surprise, and she saw that it caught Clavis by surprise as well.

"So you care little that she's a vampire?" Clavis asked in slight amazement.

"No. And," Ragna quickly picks up Rachel bridal style, as the small vampire lets out an "Eek!" from the sudden action. A heavy tint of red that matched her eyes came across her cheeks, as he held her tighter. "I don't care to continue this boring ass conversation. I promised this stupid rabbit here I'd show her the flowerbed. Besides our dinners gonna get cold, so I'll see you later." With that said, Ragna leaps over him, as Jin follows behind, leaving Clavis behind.

"Brother, what we're you thinking?"

"I wasn't really. I couldn't just let him take her now could I?"

"But…we basically just kidnapped his own daughter," Jin said. "Can't we get charged for this?"

"I…didn't even think about that. Well shit. Let's worry about the possible jail charge later."

They went on and on, but Rachel wasn't really listening to them, as she was too busy trying to cope with the fact that she was being carried. She held him tight as he leapt up a few small hills, Jin following behind. Surprisingly enough, the two were incredibly athletic. Now being pretty much pressed against his chest she could feel his rather toned chest. If she recalled correctly he was six years old. For a six year old, he was pretty toned.

This was the first time she was being carried in such a way. Sure her father has carried her to her bed sometimes, but this was the first time she felt like this. And she liked it. It was like she was some princess being carried away by a prince. She's read stories like those several times, and at points in time, she thought about it. About her being the princess, and would more often than not, dream about it.

'What is wrong with me…? Why do I feel…so happy?'

As they ran through the forest with her in his arms, she saw the trees beginning to open up into a bright light. She closed her eyes to shield herself from the heavy light, as they went in. It went quiet for a few seconds, as she wondered what happened.

"So you gonna open your eyes rabbit? We're here."

"Huh?" Rachel slowly opened her eyes, as she gasped in awe. Before her laid a massive flower bed, as colors such as pink, white, red, blue and violet were spread across the field. "What is this?"

"Well, I DID promise I'd take you to see the flowerbed right? And here it is." Ragna said. The blond haired boy looked down at Rachel to see her looking away from him. "Hey, you ok?"

"I'm alright...but there is a slight dilemma."

"What is it?"

"You...haven't put me down yet..." Rachel told him in an embarrassed tone. She couldn't look him straight in the eye. She didn't know why, but she felt that if she looked at him, she'd explode.

"Oh yeah… Sorry about that." Ragna puts her down on the ground, as gently as he could. The moment her feet were back on the ground, he noticed the particular change in color on her face. Her usually pale skin was now a searing hot red. Scratching his head, he asked the vampire. "Hey, you ok? Listen, sorry about just taking you up like that."

"N-No… That was not your fault. The fault is mine…" Rachel was a bit concerned about the way she felt. She felt light, and she couldn't stop blushing. No matter how hard she tried, the redness just would not fade away. She looked over her shoulder at Ragna, and quickly turned away, as she began to play with her hair, twirling her finger within her pigtails, as it wrapped around her small finger. 'What is this feeling…?'

"Brother…" Jin's voice cut through the awkwardness, as Ragna turned to look at his groaning brother. "What's going on?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Well whatever. Let's just have her take a look around yeah?"

"Yes." Rachel shook off the awkwardness that plagued her, and walk out into the massive flowerbed. A smile came across the vampire's face, as she was truly speechless by the beauty before her. The wide array of flowers made the atmosphere around them so serene. "This is quite the spectacular view…"

"That it is." A familiar voice cut in.

The moment they heard it, they whipped around and saw Clavis walking towards them. Rachel backed up a little but was surprised when Ragna ran in front of her and puts his arm out. "No means no old man. Can't you take a damn hint?"

"Yes, I have." He stops in front of Ragna, and smiled, as he puts a hand atop the boys head.

"What?"

"You…have been a great tour guide and friend to my daughter. And I thank you." Clavis says.

"Thank? For what?"

"As you know… We vampires are viewed, as monsters, and freaks. However…even after knowing who—and what she was…you still protected her, and took her out of harm's way. It seems that not all humans are bad. You passed."

"Wait so… You were testing me!? Are you kidding!? The eff man!"

"I needed too. I can not just have my daughter here with the risk of her getting hurt now can I? She seems to have been sneaking out a lot lately… I wondered what it was, just to see it was because of you."

"So…you knew?" Rachel asked her father.

"I knew you were sneaking out, I just did not know where."

"But if you knew, then why didn't you stop me?" Rachel asked.

"You seemed so happy, and I did not want to stop you. Though I must admit," Taking his hand off the irritated boys head, he walked over to his daughter. "Finding out you were traveling to the human world gave me a bit of a scare, but it looks like you were in good hands all this time." The tension he had on his face vanished, replaced with a gentle smile. He put a hand upon the small vampire's head, stroking the top of her head. "Do not stay out too long. Your tea will get cold."

With that said he vanished, and left Rachel with a confused and irritated Ragna, and a confused Jin. From then on, she would go to him without fear of her father and he's even invited Ragna over to his home. Months passed as Clavis got to know Ragna even more, as Ragna got to know Clavis and Rachel even more. Clavis would even allow Rachel to stay over at Ragna's house and sleep over for long periods of time.

It was also in reverse, as Ragna stayed at her house several times, and was amazed by the sheer size of it. He looked at the estate in awe as his jaw dropped, and hung down.

"You're telling me…you live HERE!?"

"Is it really that amazing?" Rachel asked.

"Yes! The hell kind of house is this!? This shit is a mansion! How the hell couldn't anybody find this place?" Ragna wondered.

"My father put a barrier up… It's the reason why it seems to be night time. It's so people cannot come into trouble us." Rachel explains.

"Well, that barrier did the fucking trick… Holy crap..."

"Well enough gawking, and come inside. It is much more comfortable inside than out." Rachel told him, as she started for the large door. Ragna followed her in, and when he got inside, he was completely thrown for a loop.

"Are you some rich kid or something?"

"I am not. But I am one of high stature. I recommend you show me due respect." Rachel said with a playful giggle.

"Not in your life…" Ragna growled. His anger left him momentarily, as he sighed, his thoughts roaming elsewhere. "I wonder if Jin's gonna be ok?"

"He shall be fine. Your father is with him." Rachel reassured.

"Still… Him out in the forest for so long is worrying… He's not much for fighting." Ragna scratched his neck and groaned. "I just hope that idiot doesn't get hurt…"

"You worry too much."

"Ah. There you are." A soft tone spoke, as the two turned to see Clavis walking over to them. He greets Ragna with a bow and leads him to his room not far from Rachel's. It soon hit their time for them to go to bed, as they went to their separate rooms. Though a certain vampire found her way into Ragna's room, and it wasn't met with a calm response.

"What the fuck are you doing here!? Don't you have your own bed!?" Ragna asked as he was woken up by Rachel crawling into his bed.

"I am aware of my bed you idiot." Rachel spat.

"Then what the hell are y—!?"

"I had a nightmare."

...

…

…

…

…

"…What?" Ragna stared at her blankly, showing no emotion whatsoever in his expression or voice.

"Like I said… I had an unpleasant dream, and my father is farther than this room. So I came in here."

"…Heh… Hehe… Haha…! Hahaha!" Tears started to fall down Ragna's eyes, as he cried with laughter. "Oh, my—Oh, my GOD! Holy shit, rabbit! You've got to be kidding…"

"J-Just shut up!" Rachel yelled at him. "This does not happen often! I just," her tone quickly changed from her angered, and embarrassed tone, to a softer, and almost saddened one. "Need to be with someone…"

Ragna soon stopped laughing, as he looked at her saddened expression. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No…"

"I know you're lying. If it's something I can help you with then…"

"Can you bring people back to life?"

"What?" Ragna gasped slightly, as he was caught off guard by her rather odd, and unsettling question. "Bring people…back to life?"

"I'm… Forgive me, I didn't mean to say that… Just forget I said anything."

"I can't just forget that you know… The hell did you mean by that?" Ragna asked sternly. The room went silent for a bit, as Ragna just stared at the saddened girl. The silence was lifted with a sigh from her, as she began.

"My mother…" Was all Rachel said. But with only those two words, Ragna got the memo.

"She's dead…"

"Yes… She died… Protecting me from humans." Rachel looked down at his chest, as she felt her heart clench. A lump clogged her throat and hindered her speech, but she swallowed it quickly and went on. "It's why my father resented me leaving. He…didn't want me to end up like my mother… And that nightmare was…"

"It was about her…" Ragna finished.

"Yes. And I couldn't be alone… So I needed someone with me. It didn't matter who… If I am troubling you, then I shall—" Rachel was stopped, as she felt an arm wrap around her. She looks up and sees Ragna smiling at her. It was a smile she's seen often enough, but it was never directed at her. This smile is one he would only show his brother, and it was a warm one. Snuggling closer to him, she closes her eyes. "Your…warm…"

"Am I?"

"Yes…" a small smile formed on the vampire's face, as she spoke in a soft tone. "Thank you… Ragna."

"No problem… You can be such a baby sometimes…" Ragna chuckled.

"I shall deliver punishment on you tomorrow for that remark…" Rachel said sharply. "But for now…" her sharp tone vanished instantly, as she yawned. "Goodnight Ragna…"

"Nite."

This was the first time she had ever been the warmth of another, other than her mother, and father. Spending time with him, and roaming the human world outside of the small village Ragna, and his family lived were all new experiences. He even took her to one of the big cities a good distance away from their village.

They took a carriage, and it was the first time she's ever ridden in one. Her eyes shined like the luminous moon that hovered her estate, as she rode in the carriage. Her eyes grew wider once she saw the city. It was bustling with people. There were street performers, shops, restaurants, everything. She couldn't believe that so much could be in one place, and she's missed all of it.

However, something rather unexpected soon occurred.

Something she herself was not ready for.

It was mid-autumn the following year, and Ragna told Rachel he had a present for her. She wondered what it was, and what it was for. With curiosity getting the best of her, she asked him what it was.

"It's…a surprise. Just don't ask any questions, and just meet me at our usual hangout spot."

"If you are going to ask me for a favor, the least you can do is drop the snark." Rachel said.

"You damn…! Just meet me at noon tomorrow ok!? Shit, this is embarrassing…" Ragna groaned.

"Very well."

The next day came by, as Rachel informed her father that she will be heading out. She arrived at 12:00 on the dot, and looked around to see he wasn't here. She didn't have to wait long as she heard footsteps and saw Ragna walking towards her. Tapping her foot and folding her arms she sighed.

"You tell me to come here at 12:00, and you keep me waiting? You should be glad that I decided to come, as I had better things to do."

"I swear to god…!" Ragna's eye twitched, as he growled at the small vampire.

"Oh, my… You look like you're ready to explode. Are you alright?" she asked in fake worry.

"I don't even think I should still give you this…!" a large vein popped up on Ragna's head as he cursed her out under her breath. Rachel just giggled to herself at the boy's anger, but her attention is soon turned away from his face to a rather nicely wrapped gift box in his hand.

"What's that?"

"…Well…I'm already here…makes no sense to go back home now." Ragna scratched his head in frustration and lets out a deep breath to calm himself down. He extends his right hand to Rachel and growled. "Here."

"?" Rachel was a little hesitant, but she took the gift from him opened it up. Her eyes opened to quarters as she reached into the now opened box, and pulled out a silver chain with a ruby gem in the middle. "What is…?"

"Happy birthday…" Ragna groaned.

"You…remembered?" Rachel asked in shock.

"Yeah… I did… I saw that in the larger town we visited a few miles down. It's where we get our supplies from, and I saw this in one of the shops. So…I got it for you."

"I don't…know what to say…" Rachel looked at her reflection through the jewel. She was captivated by the beauty of the jewel and with a smile, she puts the necklace around her neck. "It… It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I do." Rachel lifts the pendant in the palm of her hand and looks down at it. It was a gorgeous crimson. "But… Why such a gift? This seems like it cost much more than a simple card…"

"Kind of… But I figured it would be the perfect gift since the color...matches your eyes..."

"My eyes?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah." The blond haired boy scratches the back of his neck and looks away. "A beautiful crimson red…"

"!" His sudden compliment caught her off guard, as a bright vermillion showed itself onto her features. She tried her best to hide it, but her pale skin made that task impossible. Without really thinking, her legs moved, as she walked closer to Ragna, and pushed her head into his chest.

"H-Hey! What's with you!?"

"I…do not know… I just…wanted to do this." Her arms slowly moved around the boy and held him, causing Ragna to blush as well. "Is this…bad?"

"N-Na…That's not…it."

"May we…stay like this for a little while?" Rachel asked, a little hesitant to speak as her once calm demeanor was gone.

"I guess… I don't mind." His arms started to move, as he wrapped it around her small frame. The two just stood there; alone and wrapped in the embrace of the other. Though, this peace and serenity she had did not last after that. Events began to weave itself together. Events that would change her life forever.

"Father? What do you mean by that…?"

"Rachel… My end is near…"

"Can you "see" it?" Rachel asked in a frightful tone.

"Yes," the man nods. "Soon… Very soon… This world will change. However, once that change arrives, my life will come to an end. I have "observed," it with my own two eyes."

"Impossible… Father…!" Rachel dove into her father's arms, as he held her. Stroking her head gently, a warm smile comes across his face that matched his embrace.

"It's ok… Do not fret. Once that time comes… I shall show my secret to you…"

"Secret?"

"That…will be reveal on my death bed…"

"Father…"

Fear took over her entire being. The events that he spoke of soon took place, as the world did change. However, it was not for the best. And it changed her life forever.

 **One year later…**

"You…bastard…!" Ragna laid on the ground, covered in wounds, as his right arm was now black, and his right eye was crimson red. In front of him was a man clad in white armor and a girl with blond hair and pigtails. But it wasn't just any girl. He knew her well.

It was Rachel.

"You…!" He clenched his teeth and looked at Rachel in pure rage. His fists were balled up tight, gripping the blades of grass and ripping them out of the ground. "You bitch…! My mom, my dad…my brother…! How could you…!?"

"…"

* * *

Rachel sat on her bed with her head between her legs and her arms wrapped around her legs, leaning on her bed head and her sheets covering her. The events that took place replayed in her head over, and over again. The rage and malice he had in his eyes that he directed her way, the dry salty tears that stained his angered face. The words he threw at her, doing more damage than any blade could hope to do, as she felt her heart shatter into pieces.

' _She's a friend of mine...'_

' _You stupid rabbit…!'_

She clenched her dress tightly within her hands, ready to tear the black fabric. Short flashes and images of Ragna came to her. His voice echoed in her mind.

' _You bitch…! My mom… My dad… My brother…! How could you…!?'_

His words echoed through her mind over, and over again. She couldn't stop it. She tried to throw them away, but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried. While in deep, her door creaked opened, as Clavis walked in and looked at his daughter. She did not look back at him however, as she kept her head down.

"Rachel... They…summoned the last two…right?"

"…"

"I am sorry for…what happened to him. I managed to get Jin to a safe place away from the village... Though he was picked up by the NOL."

"How could I do that to him…? What is wrong with me?" Rachel asked herself in disbelief. Each word that came from her was like a dagger that pierced her father's, heart.

Clavis heard her sniffle, as she lifted her head, and looked at him. Her orbs shook and glimmered, her visage on the verge of tears. "Rachel… You had no choice… If you assisted him, you would be endangered of being killed…" He walks over to his daughter, as he pulls the sheets off of her. "I do not want to sound selfish…but I am glad that you are here."

"How…? How could I do that to him…? Why father…?" her voice shook, as she spoke. She clenched her dress tighter, almost ripping it, as she bit down on her lip. "If I knew this would happen… Then I should have listened to you and stayed away from him… I would never have known him… And it wouldn't have hurt so much to lose him…"

"Rachel…"

"Why…" she looked up at her father and asked. "Why did this have to happen?"

With a sigh, Clavis began to explain the specifics of what happened as her eyes opened wide. Her heart stopped and her entire body froze in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She felt anger build up inside of her upon obtaining the knowledge. What they summoned forth and why. It was all for one thing.

"All…for a possibility…"

 **One year later...**

"Father!" Rachel stood outside her estate and saw it set ablaze, as fire shot out of the windows. She ran into the burning house and covered her mouth to stop herself from inhaling the fumes. She ran all around the house, searching for her father, and praying that he was still alive. Finally, she found him in his room, but he wasn't in the best condition. The ceiling collapsed on him and buried him under the rubble. Rachel quickly ran over to him and tried to lift it up, but her efforts proved fruitless.

"Rachel… I have a task for you… Listen closely…" Clavis spoke weakly.

"Father, please! Do not speak!" Rachel begs as she turns to Nago and Gii. "Help me!"

"Yes, princess!" the two said, but stopped as Clavis shook his head.

"Rachel… It is time I tell you our family secret…"

"Do you mean…! THIS is what you meant by—!?"

"There is no time to talk… You must hurry... This is my last request…"

"No, it's not! Don't talk like that!"

"Nago… Gii… Take good care of my daughter." Clavis told them. The two were on the verge of tears as their tears began to accumulate in their eyes, ready to burst.

Rachel pleaded again, and again to her father, but was soon silenced by him, as he informed her on what she needed to know. With a smile, Clavis orders her to go, and do this last task. With no other choice, she tells her father she will return soon and runs out. She makes her way to the catacombs of their home, deep in their basement and takes something from a heavily sealed box. She found something odd within, but she didn't spend too much time on it.

She ran back up to her father, but was not fast enough, as explosions took up the estate. Rachel began to dart for the room she left her father in but was tackled out the window by her familiars, as flames burst out of the window they just dived out of. Slowly rising up from the ground, she looked in horror at her home. Fire exploded out every window, as the house soon collapsed. It was no longer the wonderful home she has lived in since she was born. It was now nothing, but ashes.

The vampire fell on her knees and looked in disbelief at the rubble that was her home. Her eyes were opened to the size of quarters, as she looked at the state of her home. The night sky that hovered above vanished as rain clouds appeared.

This proved two things.

The barrier was down, so others could now get in.

And her father was dead and gone.

She looked upon the wreckage that was once her home, as the smoke from the fire caused a downpour. A single droplet of rain turned into a heavy storm, as her hair became drenched. Her bangs fell over her face and covered her eyes. Nago and Gii just looked at Rachel with saddened eyes, as they too grieved over the loss of their home. Soon footsteps were heard, as a stampede of feet clapped on the floor. They got closer and closer, but the vampire paid them no mind.

Several men in NOL uniforms appeared and stopped right behind her. One man walked up to her and spoke. "We have finally found you. Rachel Alucard… You are under a rest for the mass murder of Woodland village, and arson. You have the right to remain silent." He rambled on, as the soldiers cuffed her, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. Her eyes were fixated on the wreckage of her home as the reality of it all came crashing down on her.

She heard Nago and Gii trying to fight them off, but the noise from them was soon silenced, as they were put in special Ars magus bindings.

As they took her away she stayed silent, her bangs blocking her eyes so they could not see the expression on the young girl's face. But that's not where it ends. She was later forced to join the NOL, as punishment for manslaughter, and arson on Woodland village, and her own home.

Not even a month had passed, as she heard even more grievous news.

"The operation to hunt down, and extinguish all vampires is complete. Every other run away, make sure you put them in concentration camps per our orders. We will exterminate all these unholy vermin once, and for ALL!"

With that news spread across the NOL, Rachel did not get the easy treatment. She was looked down on and scorned by others. Years, and years went by, as she felt herself wasting away.

Now she was truly alone.

She rose through the ranks, but she never cared about it. She didn't care about anything. Everything she cared about was already gone. They were already dead.

They were now nothing, but a memory.

A memory, best left forgotten.

 **That ends this chapter! I tried to write this in Rachel's point of view so I did my best not to delve into the thoughts of others. Thought'd be a good idea since this was her backstory and all. And thank you to the people who have read, reviewed and liked this story. I hope you all liked this chapter as well and I'll see you next time.**

 **Chapter 3: The sea ahead**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: The sea ahead**

"So let me get this straight. Not only did you let several prisoners escape, but you got your ass handed to you AND your NOL ship jacked!? That's amazing! You really fucked up this time! Haha!"

Two men sat in an office stationed at the NOL Yabiko branch. One man sat behind the desk, his feet kicked up on the table and a smile plastered on his face, but it was anything but welcoming. He had green hair that spiked up, almost like he put his hand in a electric socket. He didn't wear standard NOL clothing and instead, he had a suit that was opened to reveal his chest, his tie undone and hanging on his neck, and a yellow hoodie with snake like symbols on it.

The other man that sat in front of the desk was Jin and he was called by this man for a small talk, even though he'd rather not be in his presence. "I am not in the mood, Terumi. What do you want from me?" Jin asked coldly. He had no time to put up with this man's foolish antics. The faster he could get out of his presence the better off he was. He reminded Jin of a serpent, his eyes as venomous as his tone and his whole character just spelled mischievous.

"Well, good old Hakky wants to see you in, Ohkoto. Some big ass meeting is taking place and he wants us ALL to be there. Sadly," Terumi let's out a sad breath. "I'm included in that all too... But don't you worry!" He puts his hands behind his head and smirks. "I promise you that Uncle Terumi won't leave you alone m'k?" Terumi reassures, sarcasm clear in his voice.

"Your voice irritates me… If that is all, then I shall take my leave." Jin stood up and faced the door, ready to walk out and leave his presence.

"Wow… You're just like Hakky in everyway. Speech and all." Terumi rolled his eyes and groaned. "Well I guess you must be proud to be trained by one of the Six Heroes right? I wouldn't have minded training you, Jin. I know we'd bond SO well."

"Laughable." Jin scoffed at his statement, his face cringing in disgust at the mere thought of it. The relationship he had with Terumi was like oil and water, it was impossible for them to mix. Every fiber of his being told, Jin that he was dangerous and not to be trusted. A child could see the dark intensions this man had, hidden behind this fake façade of a 'hero'. He was no hero. He was a menace. "You are the furthest thing from a hero than anyone could ever be. Vile snake."

"Aw~ How cute~ Did you steal that line for old, Hakky or from some show on TV~?" Terumi teased. The Major spoke no more words to the snickering man as he walked out, leaving the green haired man alone. Once the door clicked, a look of distain quickly taking over his expression. "Tch. What a annoying brat…" He took his feet off the desk and snarled. "I swear everytime I see him I want to skin him alive…" He tapped his fingers on the desk and growled. "I swear I'm gonna hang him by his hair…"

"Well that isn't the way you talk to your co-workers…" An upbeat voice reprimanded.

"Since when the hell did I care about pointless shit like that?" Terumi responded uncaringly. "Speaking of which," The green haired man spun his chair around as he looked to see a man with green hair just like him in a black suit, tie and hat leaning against the window, a smile stretched from ear to ear. "When the hell did you get in here, Hazama?"

"About now-ish." The man had a much lighter and more upbeat voice then Terumi did. What was strange was that his eyes seemed shut and the smile he was sporting was as creepy as his eyes being closed. "I got a little interested in the Major…so I eavesdropped a little."

"Don't you know it's bad manners to eavesdrop?" Terumi asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Well I am in intelligence. I need to make sure to keep tabs on everyone…" Hazama tipped his hat over his eyes as a sadistic smirk came across his face. "And it sure has been fun… I've heard some rather…'juicy'...rumors going around… Thought you might be interested in hearing them…"

"Juicy, huh?" Terumi's ears tingled at the tone he used. "Ok… You got my attention…" Terumi sat there and listened to Hazama as he told him just what was so juicy. Once Hazama finished, a wide smile came across Terumi's face as he started to chuckle and that lead to full on sadistic laughter. "Are you serious!? Haha! BOY! That is RICH!" Terumi held his stomach and leaned back on the chair as his laughter grew louder and more erratic. "Now THAT'S good!"

"Right? Crazy what the 'Six Heroes' have come too… So broken up and divided." Hazama said with false empathy. He adjusts his hat and opened his eyes, revealing his eyes were the same as Terumi's. That wasn't the only thing that was the same however. It had the same callous, snake-like feeling to them, as if he was just slithering about, ready to bite you at a moments notice. "It's just so funny…"

"What a mother, haha! Shit, Nine really does know how to keep me laughing." Terumi's laughing soon came to a halt as his face cringed in disgust. "Though that annoying cat is gonna be a problem… As long as that fur balls around, I gotta watch my ass… That sword of his is one I'd rather not get sliced with… Same goes for you… Your my 'vessel'…" His eye lids descend half way as he spoke in a deeper tone. "If I lose you, then my plan is gonna go up in flames. Let's not make that happen, yeah?"

"Oh, don't worry I know. I'm just a tool after all…" Hazama reassured.

"By the way," Terumi started. "I hear numbers eleven through thirteen are exceeding expectations. Number twelve is supposed to be the one that is closest to 'perfection'. Am I right?"

"You make me look bad sometimes, Mr. Terumi. Yes, the Prime Field devices are finally done. Colonel Relius told me that this morning, but I guess he told you first." Hazama shrugged. "Well, I think I should take my leave now. Can't stay in here for too long," His voice deepened as he clicked his teeth in exasperation. "Too many damn prying eyes around… Can't even use the bathroom without feeling like I'm being watched."

"That just means they're on too us…" Terumi sighed. "In the meantime, don't do anything reckless."

"Yes, Mr Terumi." Hazama tipped his hat down with a smile and made his way to the door. He grabs the doorknob and was about to turn it, but stops midturn as he had one more question for him. "Oh, that reminds me… What are you planning on doing after you get 'it' back?"

"That's something you should already know." Terumi answered back casually.

"I guess what's 'taken' must be 'returned' after all. Heh heh," Hazama licks his lips and smiles. "This should be fun…" He opens the door and walks out chuckling to himself, closing the door with a click.

"Now…that was a bit mischievous… What are you planning, Hazama?" Terumi leaned back on his chair and whips it around to face the door once more. "I think you gave yourself away, Hazama…" He put his elbows on the table and entangles his fingers. There was something off in Hazama voice that made Terumi question him. Just what was he planning behind his back? "Well whatever. As long as he gets my work done… I'll deal with him later." He put his feet back up on the table and snickered to himself as a wide smile came across his face.

"Let the party begin…"

* * *

Jin fumbled his way down the hall, leaning on the wall and using it the best he could to stay up as his eyes played tricks on him from the intense vertigo that ailed him. He cursed and hissed his teeth as the pain grew more and more unbearable. It was like his head was splitting in two. Droplets of sweat trickled down the gasping Majors face as his legs felt like they were about to snap like twigs. Quick flashes of himself as a child appeared in the Major's head as he tried his best to remain conscious.

"Damn it… This again…!?"

For as long as Jin could remember, his whole childhood was a complete mystery to him, trapped in a thick fog that could not be pierced. His earliest memory was when he joined the Kisaragi families main house and was trained to join the NOL later in life. However, as a youth, he would always have these odd flashes and recollections of things he himself could not recall. It was more then a bit troubling, but it also provided some helpful insight to what his life used to be.

During these memories or short flashes, he would see himself in a small village and in everyone of these flashes, a young boy, probably only a few months or a year older then him, was with him. Sometimes he saw flashes and even dreams about the two laughing together. Other times it's when he was crying, and that same boy was always there to hold his hand. The boy would speak, though Jin never knew what he was saying. However, he felt safe and comfort as his tears would stop flowing. He could even recall a time he woke up from a dream with tears coming down his face. Thankfully no one was there to see THE Major, Jin Kisaragi shed tears from a dream.

To this day, he was at his wits end with remembering the identity of the boy as his face is always clouded and distorted. These visions would occur every so often, but a few weeks ago they began more and more frequent. The coincidence is when Terumi came to him they started to appear, as Jin concluded he might know something, or he might be the cause of his memory lapse in the first place. Whatever the case maybe, in some way or form, that man had something to do with it.

"That damn serpent…!" Jin scowled. He never trusted Terumi, not even once. When he would sometimes go on missions with him, he would always watch his back, just incase Terumi decided to stab him in the back or throw him in a ditch. "Tch…!" The Major winced as he felt a sharp pain pierce his skull, and he soon found himself sliding down the wall onto his knee. "Shit… What is this…? This… This is different then before…" A word came to mind as he called it out unconsciously. "Bro…ther…"

"Jin!" He heard a worried voice call his name. Weakly turning his head to look over his shoulder, he saw a girl with scarlet red hair running towards him. She wore an NOL uniform a bit different then his own. She wore a jolting sapphire NOL uniform dress with a white collar and a short red tie, with two separate long sleeves that had two metal bands and a long red strap, and white gloves with black thigh-high stockings and blue military boots. The woman bent down to him and asked in a panic. "Are you ok, Jin!?"

"Tsu…baki…" Jin knew this woman very well, they've been friends ever since he went into the, Kisaragi family as an orphan. She was his very first companion and they've been with each other ever since, even graduating in the same year at the Military Academy. Though, they were assigned to different posts as was admitted into the Zero squadron and he was put into the Praetorian guard, so they haven't been able to talk much, until now.

Recently, she was assigned as Jin secretary because of the recent escape of the inmates Jin failed to dispatch. Though he didn't mind having her around because now he had someone to talk too, at least someone who wouldn't drive him insane. Tsubaki was the only one he knew that he could really talk too, or at the very least keep him sane. With a grunt, the Major pushed himself off the wall and does his best to force a small smile to ease her worry. "I am just fine, Tsubaki, don't be alarmed. Just a little fatigue… I suppose all this work is catching up to me." Jin lied.

"Those visions again?" Tsubaki could see right through him as she knew full well of Jin's visions. It's been happening ever since she knew him and they've been more frequent as of late. She could see these visions were heavily taxing him as he looked like he was ready to drop right in front of her. She tried to help him piece together these visions, but the two would always come up empty handed, and with only more questions.

"Yes… But do not worry… I'm…ok..." His words drifted off as his eyes lost its gleam as he fell forward. Tsubaki quickly caught him as his face buried itself into her ample bosom.

"Jin! Jin!" Tsubaki called out to him and her only response were deep pants. She quickly turned him around so he could lay in her arms. He was sweating pellets, his cheeks flushed and his breathing becoming erratic. She put a hand on his forehead and quickly retracted it from the intense heat, it was like a hot pot, she could probably even fry an egg on his forehead. "I need to get you to the infirmary!"

"Tsubaki Yayoi?" A confused voice called her name as the redhead turned around to see Hazama walking towards her with his hands in his pockets.

"Captain Hazama!? What are you doing here!?"

"What am I doing here?" The man furrowed his brow to the questions and stopped in front of her. "Um…are you ok, Tsubaki? Did you forget I work here?" Hazama turned his attention from Tsubaki to a panting Jin laying in her arms. "Oh, my! He doesn't seem to be in good shape. What happened?"

"It's nothing, I'll handle it." Tsubaki told him. 'I don't trust him… I need to get, Jin out of here and fast…!'

"No, I should take him." Hazama offered. "He seems to be in a lot of pain right now and I wouldn't want anything bad happening to him. I think he'd be better off with me. This is an order, Tsubaki Yayoi. Release him." He said sternly as his eyes opened to reveal his venomous snake-like eyes. "Or are you defying an order? Is this insubordination?"

"Tch…!" Tsubaki felt the air around her tense up as a rather chilling aura emanated from the Captain, his eyes staring daggers into her. If she didn't do something fast, Jin could be in danger and that was something she would not allow. "Izay—!" Before she could call forth her weapon, Jin erupted from her arms and stood in front of the Captain. "Jin!"

"Oh? What's the matter, Jin Kisaragi?"

"You will leave at once..." Jin commanded. The two shared stares for a moment before Hazama's eyes closed back and he tipped his hat forward.

"Please forgive my rudeness, I didn't mean to offend you, Major. I was just acting as any concerned officer would do for one of their co-workers. I am a gentlemen, you know…"

"I do not wish to be in your presence any longer… Get out of my sight. You remind me of 'him'…" Jin scowled.

"I see. Well I'm sorry to hear that you aren't a fan of me. Thought that maybe we could be friends. You know go get some coffee, you know the rest." He fixes his hat and takes a step as he whispered in Jin's ear. "You better be careful, Major. Lots of crazy things have been happening around here… I don't think you want, Tsubaki to get hurt, now do you?"

"Do you wish to die?" Jin threatened. He's wanted a reason to cut him down for quite some time and doing it now could serve to put his aching mind at ease.

"No, just a warning." Hazama retracts himself from Jin's ear and smiles at Tsubaki. "Have a good day…Tsubaki Yayoi. We'll talk later…ok?" Jin quickly put a hand in front of Tsubaki as the Captain just smirked and walked away, his shoes clapping on the floor, echoing in the empty halls and finally ceasing as he was out of sight and earing range. Now that he was gone, Tsubaki felt the bindings around her chest finally come undone as she let out a relieved breath. But her worries were soon brought back as Jin went on a knee and fell forward.

"Oh no, Jin!" She quickly knelt down and caught him as she held his head on her chest. "We need to get you to the infirmary before this gets worse…"

"Tsubaki…are you ok?" Jin managed to utter, his voice no louder then a whisper as Tsubaki was barely able to catch his words.

"You should be worrying about yourself right now, Jin." Tsubaki said.

"…I asked you a question, Tsubaki… Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't." She answered.

"Good… Be careful around that man, Tsubaki… Don't get near him or Terumi…" Jin warned, his panting only increasing as he spoke. "Both of them…are not to be trusted… Tsubaki…don't…" His voice trailed off as it was no longer audible by her.

"Jin!" Tsubaki called to him, but this time she received absolutely no response. Thankfully he was just unconscious, most likely due to the intense fever his body was undergoing and protecting her from Hazama only served to heighten his temperature. The officer called for help, yelling down the halls in hopes that someone would come to aid her. Thankfully, several guards came running down the hall and gasped as the saw, Jin in the state he was in.

They quickly took him up and carried him to the infirmary as Tsubaki went with them, volunteering to stay until a doctor came to look at him, but she doubted a doctor could do anything to help. She recalled points in time when his headaches would lead to small fevers, but they usually vanished within a few minutes, but this one was different. Whatever the case was, she couldn't leave his side, not now.

Now in the infirmary and sitting on a chair looking over the sleeping Jin, she took his hand into her own as she watched him with saddened eyes. She took a towel and dabbed it over his forehead to wipe off the sweat. In the long run, there was not much she could do for him to regain his memories, all she could do was support him in anyway possible, like now.

"Oh, Jin…" Tsubaki closed her eyes and clasped his hands into her as she pressed his hand against her forehead. Even though he was in total agony and pain, he still stood up for her, he still protected her. A moment of silence filled the room, but was soon dispelled as Tsubaki could hear beeps. It was her communicator and it seemed as if she was being called for filing work. Now really wasn't the time for stacking and signing papers, but as much as she wanted to ignore it, she couldn't. Tsubaki clicked the small button on her communicator and answered. "Yes?"

"We heard about what happened to Major, Jin Kisaragi. As his secretary, we need you to file his reports."

"I know… Don't worry, I'm on my way." Tsubaki hung up and looked back at Jin. "I'll be going now, Jin." The redhead moved his bangs out the way and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back as fast as I can, Jin… So just wait for me…" She gave him a smile, even though he couldn't see it or smiled back to her and made her way out. After a brief moment of silence, the door opened once more, but it wasn't Tsubaki that walked in…

"Major, Jin Kisaragi…"

It was Hazama.

He walked over to the sleeping Major and snickered to himself. "Guess your not holding up all too well there, buddy. Can't face the truth?" Hazama heard the door open again as he looked over his shoulders to see a male doctor walk in. He had on a white coat and glasses with black frilly hair.

"Captain Hazama? What are you doing here?" The doctor asked.

"Just checking in." He told him casually.

"Sorry, but you can't be in here." The doctor said.

"I'm sorry for being a burden. I'll be out in a moment."

"Sorry, but even if its you, I need you to leave, now. This rooms sealed and the only ones who can't enter a—!" In less then a second, a snake chain sprung from behind Hazama like a tail and wrapped around the doctors next as it hoisted him up a few feet off the ground. The doctors face went pale as the chain contracted around his neck and proceeded to choke him. Hazama walked over to the choking doctor and looked up at him, his eyes opened and filled with malicious intent.

"Sorry, but you wouldn't shut up. Your constant yapping was giving me a headache..." With a snap of his fingers, the chain squeezed tighter as a bone crackling snap was heard as the doctors head tilted lifelessly to the left, his eyes opened wide and saliva ran down his chin. "You see what happens when you butt into others affairs? You end up dead." Hazama said callously as he threw the doctor into the wall with a hard thud. The dead doctor fell to the floor like a rag doll and was soon devoured by a large green snake spirit, leaving no trace behind.

Now done with that interruption, he focused back on the sleeping Major. "You were talking a pretty big game earlier…" He walked back over to him as the snake chain retracted back into him. He stopped right beside Jin and grabbed his neck, ready to choke the life out of him like he did to the now deceased doctor. "As much as I'd live to kill you…I've got my orders… So for now…I'll wait. Phew," His eyes close as his usual smile comes back onto his face, along with his cheery voice. "That was a good way to let off some steam. Hope the NOL doesn't mind being down a doctor. I know I don't." He retracts his hand from around the Majors next and walks out, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Now… What's your melting point, Jin Kisaragi…? Heh heh heh…"

* * *

Rachel groaned weakly, tossing and turning in within the sheets of the small bed she laid on. The vampire slowly began to come back from her deep slumber as she blinked a few times and with a painful grunt, she sat up on the bed. She pressed the palm of her hand on her forehead as she sighed weakly. "A pointless dream… What a foolish memory…" A passing dream weighed heavy on her conscious, but it was more then just some meager dream, it was a reminder of her happiest moments and her greatest regret. However, something else grabbed her attention that took her away from her dreams.

Why was she still here?

If she recalled correctly, she was gravely wounded by that daemon she and Ragna battled and bleed out on the floor in his arms. The vampire blinked a few more times to get the dew out of her eyes and rubbed her eyes with the back of her fists. Sharp pains stuck her sides and a heavy vertigo plagued her, distorting her vision. The pain didn't last for much longer as the sharp pain slowly vanished and she was finally able to think once more. First things first, where was she?

Rachel sat up and scanned her surrounding, formulating an idea as to where she was. It was a small room, a lamp on a table across the room and a single stool next to her bed and if she wasn't wrong, it felt like she was moving. "I am on one of the NOL ships… But how did…?" Rachel still couldn't wrap her head around her survival. Death was knocking at her door, her body lifeless and covered in blood. But there was something else she was missing, a piece of the puzzle that lingered within the shadows of her distorted subconscious.

A sweet taste.

If she wasn't hallucinating, she could've sworn that there was something relatively sweet entering her mouth, but she had no idea what it was as the taste was rather unique. She has dined on several dishes, drank numerous brands of tea and partaken in several sweet pastries, but none of those things seemed to match up with what she tasted. The next question was, just how many days has she been unconscious for? She doubted it's been too long, speculating it has to be less then a week, and with them now successfully out, it was only a matter of time until the NOL came after them.

"So it begins…" Rachel muttered to herself, her thoughts running away from her as she found herself in deep thought. The vampire was soon taken out from her thoughts as she heard a loud creak. She turned to the source and watched as a certain red jacket wearing criminal walked through the door with a fat black cat and flying red bat. The man took notice of the now awake Rachel and made his way over to her along with the her two familiars.

"So, you finally decided to wake up… Took you long enough, Rabbit."

"Did it now…? I didn't know you cared enough…" Rachel retorted.

"You know… You were talking a lot in your sleep, Rachel."

"I was, was I…? Listening in is bad manners you know, Ragna." Rachel maybe weak, but that still didn't mean she was so weak she couldn't give him her regular teasing. It just wouldn't be the same, but like she could really say that. She hasn't seen him in over fifteen years and their chemistry wasn't the best as he's tried to kill her once.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Ragna asked, ignoring the vampires snarky comment.

"No. It was nothing." 'Yes… It was nothing…' Rachel felt heavy weight being pressed against her chest as she recalled her so called 'nightmare'. To her, it was not only a nightmare, but a dream as well. However, it was all in the past and thinking about it wouldn't solve anything. With a heavy grunt, Rachel got up out of bed and stood on the wooden floor, a few creaks erupting from the wooden floor. She looked to see her boots were right beside the bed as she bent down and put them on. A few pained grunts and groans left the vampires lips as she put her boots on.

"Hey, don't move too much. Your body still hasn't recovered." Ragna told her.

"I do not think you are entitled to give me orders, Ragna." She kicked the floor using the front of the boot to make sure they were on properly. "So, where are we? And…" Rachel looked back to Ragna as she couldn't help, but notice a change in him. What it was was pretty obvious as she couldn't help, but bring it up out of curiosity. His hair was a platinum color. "Your hair…did you bleach it while I was asleep?"

Ragna pulled on a strand of his hair and sighed. "Yeah, about this…"

"He saved you princess! I'm so glad your ok!" Gii flew over to her in joyful tears, but was quickly slapped away. The small red bat bounced around the room like a tennis ball and came down hard on Nago's head as the two fell onto the ground, hissing their teeth in pain as their eyes spun. Rachel paid her two familiars no mind as she did not have the patience to deal with them and focused back on, Ragna.

"Now would you like to explain what they meant by that, Ragna?"

"You were injured by that monster, so I gave you some of my blood to help you recover. These two mended your clothes." Rachel looked over herself to see all her wounds were gone and even her clothes were patched up, like they've never even been worn before. "Though…" Ragna grumbled.

"Though?" Rachel furrowed a brow.

"It's nothing. Let's forget about that and move on to something else." Ragna quickly threw the topic under the table which just served to peak her curiosity, but hounding him about something as trivial as his hair would do little for her, so she let him be. "So, what's been going on these past few years? I'm hearing the NOL's basically got the world in the palm of their hands now."

"Yes… The Novus Orbis Librarium has taken control of every part of the world. The only ones with enough power to oppose them is Sector Seven, but it is not like they have any real power." Rachel took a seat right in front of him on the edge of the bed. "There are also the guilds that are scattered about, but that's not really something to worry about or to care for. Though…I doubt that is what you want to ask me…"

"Yeah," Ragna took a seat on the stool and said. "I think I've waited long enough for you to tell me just what the hell really happened. Your familiars over here filled me in a little, but they didn't tell me everything." He told her.

"Did they now…?" Rachel turned to the cat and bat and shot them a glare as their bodies shivered. "I do not remember giving such order…"

"Wait mistress, just hear us out!" Gii pleaded, not wanting another one of Rachel's slaps. Her hands maybe small, but her slaps can crack the earth in half and sunder the very stars. All Gii could see after that slap were stars and didn't want to see anymore, lest he became lost in them.

"It's been three days, so we decided to tell Ragna a little bit about it! We didn't want to tell him everything and left the rest up to you. We only told him about the smelting!" Nago reassured.

"I have been out for three days? Very well." Rachel sighed and turned back to Ragna. "So then I do not need to say it then? You already know what they summoned?"

"The Sankishin," Ragna started. "The Tsukuyomi and the Master unit: Amaterasu. The Susano'o unit was already in our hands, since that masked asshole was wearing it. That's all they really told me."

"I see. So they did not tell you about the Azure it seems." Rachel muttered to herself, but Ragna managed to catch her words and asked.

"What? The hell's the 'Azure'?"

"The Azure is a 'power' that is located somewhere far beyond our reach."

"A power?" Ragna cut into her explanation. "So it's not some kind of being?"

"No, it is not. The Azure is nothing, but pure 'power'. It is not some deity, but then again it could be considered one, as its power is infinite." Rachel said.

"Infinite power…" Ragna looked at his right arm and groaned. "The Azure Grimoire…"

"Your grimoire posses a sliver of its power, but it is nothing compared to the 'real thing'. So in other words, it's just an imitation." Rachel said. "Just think of it… The Azure Grimoire, the most powerful grimoire of them all, is nothing, but a speck of sand to the Azure."

"…So…was that 'monster' part of the Azure too?" Ragna asked. Rachel knew well to who, or in this case, what he was referring too.

"In a sense… They used that beast, known only as the Black Beast, to devour the souls of your village and use them as a sacrifice to the Azure. It is nothing, but the manifestation of 'power'. An entity created by the Azure… The reincarnation of 'death' itself."

"Death?" Ragna repeated.

"Before creation, destruction must rear its head, Ragna. You have seen it for yourself. The power we now have and the safety the gods provide. I am sure you felt it, even down in your cell." Rachel looks at his right arm. "You still haven't lost 'yourself' to the Azure. Your right arm is the 'Black Beast' itself. Of course…you already knew that. Didn't you?"

"…So what if I did?"

"Then you must also know full well about the boundary…at least some of it."

"A small blue flame…" At times, Ragna could see a small blue light when he closed his eyes or when he had a dream, which was rare. It was nothing more than a small ember, but he could feel its power. The power of the Azure. He never knew what this small blue flame was or why it appeared before him, but then at the same time he did know. A power that lied far from the reach of man. "So is that the Azure your talking about?"

"As I said earlier, it is nothing, but a sliver of its might. Lest you wield it properly, it will consume your soul. So is the name of your 'Drive'… Is it not?"

"The Soul Eater…"

"You seem to know yourself better than I thought you did… So you have some sense as to what happened? It would seem you are not as stupid as I assumed…" Rachel moves a hand on his cheek, her mournful eyes staring into his mismatched ones, as the room fell deathly silent. "So," She caresses his cheek and asks softly. "You are not going to slap my hand away, Ragna?"

"You want me to?" He responded.

"You have a fresh mouth...as usual." Rachel giggled and looked into his right eye in melancholy. "Your eye... A shame really..." His eyes were not always mismatched. His right eye used to be a shimmering emerald green, just like his left, but with the bonding of the Azure Grimoire, his right eye turned a deep crimson red, the color matching her own. Her small hand delicately caressed his cheek, a feeling of nostalgia consumed her as she recalled the color. "It used to be a rather nice emerald green…"

"Whose fault is that, huh?" Ragna scoffed.

"You have a point..." A solemn smile formed across her pink lips. "It was a long time ago… All in the past… You have grown…quite a bit since then, Ragna."

"Enough of this. I don't know what the hell your trying to do, but stop it..."

"I'm not trying to do anything… It has just been quite sometime since we talked like this…"

"What the hell are you trying to do, Rachel?" Ragna questioned, his voice no louder then a whisper. "Whatever it is…it ain't funny."

"I suppose a joke can only go so far…" It was odd to her how much calmer he was to her. She expected him to lash out at her, or even hit her for touching him, but he didn't. He just took her hand into his and puts it down gently onto the bed and went back to the topic at hand.

"Let's just get back to the matter at hand…" Ragna sighed.

"Ragna," She reached a hand out to him. "Are you o—?"

"I'm fine." Ragna cut her off. Rachel stopped in her tracks as she retracted her hand and fell silent as small room grew noiseless, the only sounds being the small creaks caused by the moving ship. The vampire dropped her gaze from him as she closed her eyes and clenched her arm, the weight on her chest as tight as her grip.

"It seems I have taken this joke a little too far… My apologies."

"Look," Ragna started. "Just…answer my questions, alright?"

"…Answer your questions… I suppose that is what I promised you..." Rachel had a million and one other things to say to him. She wanted to talk to him now that they were alone together, but maybe that was asking a little too much. All she wanted was a small chat, that wasn't too much right? Or maybe in her case it was. She was lucky that he didn't cut her down where she sat for what she did. Letting out a sigh she decided to just get back to business. Its what he was here for, just information. He didn't care about her... As he said to her before.

She could go straight to hell…

"Very well, Ragna…"

"What was that bastards goal? Did he want the Azure for himself or something?" Ragna asked. She didn't respond for a minute as it took her a few moments to regain herself and get herself back on track from that rather harsh reality check.

"…No. He is not some power hungry tyrant, and I truly doubt he cares to posses it." Rachel told him. "What he wanted was something different. He used the souls of your village as they gathered in the Azure. The gathered souls were sacrificed in order to have their wish granted. A possibility."

"A possibility? That sounds a bit more then meets the eye."

"Not really. In the general sense it's all the same. The ritual was suppose to be rid of the daemons that plagued our world, but the Azure did not heed the plight of the humans. It can only grant the desire if the possibility exists."

"So what happened? Why is this world still like this?" Ragna inquired. If this supposed ceremony was meant to rid the world of the plague of seitherification, then why were their still daemons lurking about? Why were men, women and children still transforming into those horrific monsters? Just what the hell was going on?

"Sadly, the possibility of that is not available to this world, so in order to accomplish the extinction of seitherification, humans decided to create the possibilities themselves."

"Create it?"

"By using the souls of the people in your village, they smelted what you might call 'vessels' for them. The Sankishin are not human. The laws of this world forbid those that exist outside the realm of logic to enter this world, as deemed so by the Azure. As such, humans came up with a plan to bypass it and used people from this world in order to give the Sankishin a way to enter the mortal world." Rachel explained.

"Damn him…! Who the hell does he think he is!? Just using us for his own damn objectives! Justice my ass!" Ragna cursed. "Making decisions for the human race like he's so damn important…!"

"He is one of the Sankishin." Rachel said.

"And that gives him the right to do whatever he wants!? That bullshit."

"Well—according to your logic—if he was important he could tell humans what to do."

"Shut up… I don't need your bull right now…" Ragna sighed and waved his hand for her to continue. "Now go on… I didn't wait fifteen years for nothing…"

"Of course… how could I forget." Rachel giggled, earning a scowl from the livid Reaper. "I suppose you can wait a few more minutes… I feel for tea. I would offer you a cup, but you do not drink tea. One as barbaric as you does not know the joy of simple tea."

"Well I'm sorry I don't meet your high standards…!" Ragna growled.

"Hehe. Your reactions always serve to entertain me." Rachel giggled. "You should be honored that I am giving you such praise."

"So!" Ragna huffed, trying to blow off some steam before he broke something. "What are they using these gods for?"

"The Master unit: Amaterasu, observes this world and watches us for the Azure to witness, while the Tsukuyomi unit protects the world from the seitherification and the Susano'o is currently part of the NOL, or I suppose I should say, leading the NOL." Rachel folds her arms and sighs. "He currently rules this world. The sword that vanquishes all evil and a shield to the people. The savior; the White Knight, Hakumen of the Six Heroes."

"Savior, huh? Hah. What a loud of bullshit." Ragna scoffed. There was no way he could except someone like him as a savior. A savior wouldn't go around sacrificing whole villages. Everytime an image of Hakumen came to mind, Ragna just wanted to reach out to it and punch it right in its non-existent face, but of course, it was nothing but a figment of his imagination. "Wait…" He raised brow as his attention was drawn to something else Rachel said. "Six Heroes? What's that?"

"They are six people who fought in a large battle that turned the tide in humanities favor." Rachel started as she began to name them off. "Konoe Mercury, also referred to by most as, The Great Sage Nine."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"It is because before the NOL truly took over, she was on the Magic councils, Ten sages."

"She was!? Wait…then what happened to them?" Ragna asked.

"They disbanded. After some argument in the inner circle, they all went their separate ways. Once they did, the magic city Ishana had no leader and the mages split up. Though, Ishana soon fell." Rachel said.

"Ishana's gone? Just poof?"

"No. Now let me finish. I will answer that when I explain the more necessary portions of this."

"…You can't just say that Ishana was destroyed and leave it at that…" Ragna said. "An entire city just can't up and vanish…"

"Do you want to know the rest or not?" Rachel asked in irritation.

"Fine, fine… God…" Ragna rolls his eyes in annoyance at Rachel's attitude. Letting go of his vexation he went back on topic. "So…why did she join the NOL?"

"I do not know why she chose to join the NOL, but that is not important. However, what is important is the chance that we may have to face her in combat. I would like to avoid that confrontation as best I can. She is not one to be trifled with." Rachel warned gravely.

"I see…" Ragna heard the sheer amount of unsettlement in the vampires voice. Whoever this mage was, fucking with her would be the biggest mistake of his life if she was able to instill any kind of doubt in, Rachel. Instead of questioning her or going deeper into this former Ten sage member, he chose to leave it as his and take her word for it as it could mean life and death.

"Then there is, Jubei. He is a talented swordsman, who I am quite close with. He was a late father to me, so I owe him much."

'Late father?' Rachel's choice of words caught his attention as he was confused by what she meant by that. Though now wasn't really the time to ask so, he decided to save his question for another time.

"The next one is, Trinity Glassfille. She is gifted in the magic arts as well, but she does not fight as well as the other members of the Six Heroes. The next one is Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, but I do not know where he is. Reports say he died, but I am not too sure. I've never seen him before. Hakumen you already know."

"Sadly." Ragna growled.

"Lastly is…Yuuki Terumi…" Rachel clicked her teeth at his name as a scowl came across her features. Ragna watched as her cool temperament vanished, replaced with distaste and irritation. "He is by far the most wretched, godforsaken man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. He is the furthest thing from a hero, but I cannot deny his prowess."

"So all these Six Heroes guys are pretty freakin' strong. By the way, what battle did they fight in? You said they fought in some big ass battle."

"It was a battle that spanned for ten years. Normally, people refer to it as, the Dark War." Rachel told him.

"The Dark war?" He repeated.

"This war caused the casualties of millions of people. An experiment gone totally wrong as they summoned forth the monstrosity that devoured your village all those years ago…"

"The Black Beast…"

"That Beast devoured soul after soul, hunting for them endlessly and without mercy. Thankfully however, it was defeated. I hate to admit it, but if Hakumen was not leading the charge, we would not be here. The scar of that battle is still visible as, like I said earlier, Ishana is no more and Ibukido has been reduced to nothing."

"What!? So an entire country is gone!?" That wasn't something to poke fun or even joke about. An entire country wiped off the map? He was lucky to still be alive after coming face to face with that monster himself. He could still remember what that abomination looked like, even if he only saw it once, once was enough. It was cloaked in darkness, its red devilish eyes burrowed deep into his subconscious.

"Yes. It is now just a barren wasteland, as only ruins are seen. It is a terrible sight…as was that monster." Rachel sighed.

Ragna saw her face contort in disgust as he asked. "Did you…have to fight?"

"I did… It was not the best sight. It looked like I was staring at the devil himself. I was looking at death." Rachel closes her eyes and sighs. "But in the end humanity won and they were hailed as the Six Heroes led by, Hakumen, wielder of the Susano'o unit. Afterwards they made sure to activate the Tsukuyomi unit."

"Why the hell didn't they do that earlier then?" Ragna asked.

"The Tsukuyomi had a soul." Rachel eyes to open to slits as she continued. "All they had to do was extinguish it and put it under their complete control."

"Damn them…!" Ragna growled. He closed his eyes and opens them back up a second later at the realization of something. "Wait so the Tsukuyomi protects the world right? Then why the hell did those guys turn into that fucking monster?"

"Even a 'god' has limits. It could be because they reached their limits or because they were dead. Or…" Rachel trailed off as she put two fingers on her chin. "Maybe the Tsukuyomi..."

"Hey! What the hell are you muttering?" Ragna snapped his fingers and called to the muttering Rachel. "Hello!? Anyone home? Mind sharing to the rest of the class?"

"None of your business, you disgusting worm." Rachel retorted. "If you are speaking to me, you had best speak to me with respect."

"Tch. Whatever…" Ragna rolled his eyes at the vampires tone, but his irritation quickly left him as he had something else on his mind and not that she was awake, his question could be answered. "Now…your gonna tell me something..." The Reaper pulled his sleeve up to reveal a silver bracelet. "You… You're the one that saved Jin and me from being devoured right? You and the old man?"

"Yes… However if I made it known that I saved you then my family would be targeted."

"I understand that much…" He looked to see Rachel's face twist in unusual anger. Normally she's always calm and collected, her facial expression even emotionless at times. Seeing her like this was a bit more then unsettling.

"What good did that do?" Rachel's teeth began to show as her entire body shook. "My entire clan…hunted like animals and murdered like livestock. The rest turned into slaves…"

"What!? So the old man is…!?" Ragna gasped.

"Yes… Dead and gone… Along with the rest of my family." Rachel finished. It wasn't a topic she wanted to talk about or even recall. It brought back too much pain, and too many memories. Just thinking back on it made her want to scream, but she knew that it wouldn't change anything. Crying over spilled milk won't solve a thing.

"But, why?" Ragna questioned.

Without speaking, a glowing yellow cube appeared between them. "This...is the Hihiirokane. The person who orchestrated the massacre was probably after this and killed my entire clan in search of it…"

"How do you know that for sure?"

"Why else would they kill my father? They wanted the seal lifted. How he got in…is something I do not know. All I remember seeing…was a shadow. A green shadow…" Rachel took the floating cube into her hand and held it close to her chest. "I have been entrusted by my father to look after it and protect it… This was his will..." The yellow cube slowly vanished out from Rachel's hand, becoming transparent and soon out of sight.

"So now you know. And let me make things clear for you," Rachel's hands curled up into small fists as pure anguish settled on her features, her scowl growing more and more, the tightness in her chest like a bear hug. "This is now just as personal for me as it is for you Ragna. I do not know who issued the order to have them killed, but when I find them," Her eyes switch to that of an emotionless killer, rage and anger encompassing in her crimson eyes as a burning flame was visible within her rage filled eyes. **"I will make them suffer like no other and kill them like the piece of shit that they are."** Ragna stood there and just looked at Rachel as she spoke, her familiars watching her with saddened eyes.

"Princess…"

"So do not stand in my way. The moment I see you as a hindrance or you dare interfere with me, I'll kill you right there, Ragna." The atmosphere in the room became tense as Ragna just stared at the vampire. She looked down to the floor and closed her eyes. "That is a warning, Ragna. Stay out of my way."

"…"

"U-Uh…" Gii tried to speak, but was stopped as Nago puts his paw in front of the bat and shook his head. Gii looks at the black cat and then back at Ragna and his mistress with saddened eyes. A despondent silence filled the room, the two familiar switching back and forth between Ragna and Rachel, hoping that one of them would at least say something to lift this uncomfortable silence. Nothing more was said between the two as Ragna turned and made his way out the room, closing the door with a slow click.

"Nago. Gii. I would like for you to leave as well." Rachel pointed to the door for them to make their exit. They turn back to her as they watch her walk over to the bed and sits down on the edge of the mattress. She didn't look at them, not even once. The familiars asked no questions and listened to their master as they walked out and left her alone. After a few seconds of silence, she took hold of her right arm with her left and clenched it tight, her breathing intensifying as a crippling pain ached her body.

"The wound still hasn't fully healed as yet… It is not fatal, but it is quite limiting…" Rachel took a few deep breathes before releasing the pressure off her arm. Shoving the pain aside, she got up from her bed and walked out the room and into the hallway, making a right as she went in search for the bathroom. She figured she could use a bath after laying in that bed for three days. It took her no time to find the bathroom as, judging by the structure of the ship she's seen so far, this was one of the smaller carrier ships.

Rachel enters the bathroom and locks the door with click. She eyes the rather large bathroom and with an accepting sigh, she disrobed herself, readying herself to bathe. She took her time, a burning sensation running through her body with each motion. Finally she was undressed with a single necklace wrapped around her neck, but she didn't bother taking it off. The vampire took a gander at herself in the mirror and turned around so her back faced the mirror to see there were three claw marks going down diagonally on her back.

"How repulsive…" The vampire muttered to herself in disgust. She reached over her shoulder for her fingers to graze the scrapes, but quickly retracts it once the tip of her finger tapped the marks. It was like her back was on fire. Sighing and removing her finger from her rather painful wound, she turns the pipe on and waits for it to fill the tub, steam coming from the tub as the water filled to the brim. Rachel waited until the water was at the very top before she turned off the pipe and went in.

The water was at the perfect temperature and she leaned back on the basin to enjoy the hot bath, but the injury on her back prohibited it. The water stung her wound, but she did her best to pay it no mind and soon, she forgot it was even there. Rachel takes some water up in her hands and looks at her reflection through it.

'I know what I need to do…' She closes her eyes and splashes her face. "There is no room for error… Once that happens, everything I've done will be for not. I can not let that happen… Only success can be achieved… No matter what." Rachel takes the pendant of the necklace she wore in her palm and looked at her reflection through it. An image of the day she got it came to mind as she felt her heart clench. The bond with the boy she had. The bond she broke. "It doesn't matter anymore… What's done is done. This will not impede my success. I will complete my objective, no matter what… Even if it's him…" Rachel closes her fist tight as she could feel her fingernails digging into her skin.

It was the thought of one man that kept her chest heavy. The bond she broke weighing heavy on her and consuming her every thought. Everytime she thought about it, she wanted to curl up into a ball and scream, kick her feet and break everything she saw. The pain and anger that was hidden within her was that of a caged animal, clawing at the bars, begging to be let loose. She pulled her feet close to her and hugged it as she buried her head into her legs. What was she saying, she thought to herself.

"No matter what it takes…" She told herself the same thing time and time again, but she was lying to herself. It wasn't no matter what it took, it was what, or in this case who it took. No matter what, the feelings she had kept her from truly following through with her claim. She tried to forget her feelings, the feelings she had for him. But it wasn't something she could just throw away like an old pair of shoes.

The years she spent separated from him, praying for his safety, fearing that a daemon got to him before she could see him again. There was no way she could ask for his forgiveness for all the pain she put him through. It was impossible. The hell he's gone through, killing to survive, slowly losing himself as she was amazed that he even had a shred of his humanity left. The person she held dearest to her heart was now the furthest thing from her. The only thing that kept her bound to him, the only way she felt close, was the necklace around her neck. A gift from the man she loved.

"Ragna…" Rachel uttered his name under her breath as she tightened her embrace on her legs. "Why can't I stop loving you…?"

Unknown to her, Nago and Gii were outside the bathroom door, listening to her speak. As she spoke to Ragna and even to them, they saw the pain and anguish on her face and in her voice. However, they knew they had no right to say anything as it would change nothing. All they could do was pray for their masters safety.

"Oh, princess…" Nago let out a sad sigh. "We…need to do something. We can't let the princess suffer like this. She was so happy when she saw him, but now…"

"I know," Gii nodded. "We need to fix this somehow. I'll take the beating… Whatever makes the princess happy. That was the vow we made with Master Clavis before he died."

"Yeah… Let's do it."

* * *

The room was large and surrounded by strange crests. A clad of armor sat in the middle of the room, meditating. He had no eyes as the mask he wore was nothing, but pure white, the only eyes visible were the ones on his shoulders and hands. His sword laid by his side, unsheathed from the long red sheath on his back. The hilt was black with a yellow tip and what seemed to be a blue jewel in the center of the yellow and his blade was as long as he was tall. It was a brilliant clear silver, reflecting his image like a mirror.

"Lord Hakumen!" He heard a light voice call from behind, as clapping footsteps came running from behind him.

"Trinity Glassfille. What is it?" His voice was deep and stern, enough to send a shiver down anyone's spines. The aura around him was powerful, so powerful it made the air around him tenser, making it harder to breath. He turned around and saw a woman with light blond curly, medium-length hair with green eyes, and round glasses. She wore a yellow coat with a hold with a uniform different from that of the NOL guard. It was a black uniform with double yellow buttons with a black skirt and a blue trim with a loose blue ribbon tie, black panythose, and black slippers.

"We have some escapees from the prison. One of them is the, Grim Reaper." Trinity told him.

"The Grim Reaper? Is that what you call him now?" The hero's voice was desolate and almost uncaring to this news. "Pay him no heed for now. He will come to me in due time."Hakumen said calmly. Trinity was caught off guard by his calmness, almost like he was expecting him for a long time. "Besides I already know of this. He even bested, Jin Kisaragi if I am correct."

"Yes you are, but how did you know that?" Trinity questioned. With a man with few words he sure knew a lot. Trinity almost never saw him leave this place, or not at all. He appeared at meeting or public speeches, but that was about it. Out of everyone in the Six Heroes, she was probably the closest to him as she got to see him at least twice a month for new updates, but he always seemed to know already so giving him a news update seemed meaningless. Sometimes she wondered why she came.

"I was told by Terumi. He has also told me that Kagura Mutsuki, and Kokonoe Mercury have also escaped."

"Oh, Kokonoe…" Trinity looked down as she felt her heart starting to ache at the name.

"Is there a problem?" Hakumen heard the change in her mood upon hearing the name, Kokonoe. Trinity quickly fixed herself and answered him back.

"No… Well I guess so… I mean I knew, Kokonoe since she was little. Plus she's, Jubei and Nine's own flesh and blood. It's kind of hard to soak this in… And if, Nine and Jubei heard this they'd be…" Trinity trailed off.

"I suppose that is understandable. I have also heard that, Rachel Alucard is the one who assisted the, Grim Reaper. Is this true?"

"Yes." Trinity nodded.

"I see. Well I can not blame her. I had a feeling this may happen in the future. They will most likely be after my head and I will deal with them all when the time comes. But there is something else that needs your undivided attention," Hakumen started. "I know it is a little dangerous, but for now…keep a sharp eye on that serpent. I have a hunch as to what he is planning and it is for that reason why I need your eyes on him."

"But…What does he want...?"

"...That is one piece of information I can not disclose to you."

"I see… " Trinity knew who he meant and nods. "Yes, Lord Hakumen. Now, I will be on my way." She turns and walks away as her heels clapped against the floor, the sound resonating within the quiet room. Hakumen, now alone, let's out a sigh and looks up.

"It is time I eliminate all redundancies. Come, Ragna… I shall slay you and the 'evil' dormant within you."

 **That ends this chapter! Next is either another chapter for this story or Blazblur, as infinite possibilities is taking more time then I thought it would. Like always, I want your honest opinions. What I should touch up on, or any mistakes I made. Welp, hope yall liked this and I'll see you guys next chapter!**

 **Next Chapter 4: Misdirection**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4: Misdirection**

"This fucking sucks…" Ragna laid on his bed at an inn, groaning and moaning to his displeasure and unacceptance. How in the hell could this happen, he yelled in his head. The Grim Reaper didn't lay in this comfortable bed by choice; he was forced here.

After some rather...unfortunate and questionable events; him, Rachel, and two other noteworthy passengers were hurled off course and forced to stay in this inn. These events took place one day ago...

 **One day ago…**

It's been one week since they escaped from the prison, a certain former rebel joining them for the ride, saying three heads were better than two. The rebel was none other than Kagura as they worked together to ward off their pursuers. Finally evading their rather persistent pursuers, they drift along the clear blue sea, the calmness giving them time to breath. However, they found someone stowed away in the cargo bay as Kagura stared at her, puzzled at her attendance.

"What the… Kokonoe?" Kagura rubbed his temples in confusion at the person in question. The slim woman wore red pants that stopped at her ankles and what seemed to be a white lab coat that showed her stomach. There was a massive bell that hung at her waist and long pink hair tied in an odd style by a yellow bow tied at the back of her head. She had twin pink cat tails that gave away she was a beastkin and cat like golden-amber eyes.

"So you know her?" Ragna asked.

"Yeah…but I got a few questions," Kagura started. "Where the hell…and HOW the hell did you did on the ship?"

"I saw you guys running to this ship, so I snuck on board. It sounds like the NOL is finally off our backs, so that's a plus." Her tone was direct and vacant, her expression uncaring and her eyes distasteful. The way she looked at them was like she was ready to knock them all out or claw their eyes out if they got too close.

"So you just stowed away and decided not to fight?" Kagura asked.

"Pretty much." Kokonoe said nonchalantly.

"I can't believe this…" Kagura sweat dropped. He noticed their conversation was going right over Ragna and Rachel's heads; so he explained their situation to them. "This is, Kokonoe… She was an associate of mine back when I tried to rebel against the NOL… Though," He turned back to her. "I thought you died…"

"No. Apparently they didn't kill you either. Instead they decided to make a spectacle of the rebel." Kokonoe said. They got familiar with each other, but she wasn't much for idle chit chat; something her and Rachel had in common. However, sharing the same qualities doesn't mean they saw eye to eye. Rachel's attitude served to piss Kokonoe off more then anything as Kagura tried to keep the peace between the two ladies before all hell broke loose. Thankfully the two had enough intelligence to distance themselves from each other, lest one ends up in a body bag drifting along the ocean.

With familiarity out of the way, they stick together as their objectives aligned. With common goals and a plan set they make for their next destination; the continent of the Ikaruga federation.

The 6th hierarchical city: Yabiko.

Per Kagura's request, they made their for Yabiko, as he said he had someone to meet and it shouldn't take too long to reach, claiming that they should be there by midday tomorrow. It seemed like the perfect plan, and if what Kagura said was true, his allies would keep them safe so they wouldn't have to worry about the NOL.

But shit were they not ready for this…

Clear blue sky weather forecast my ass…

"Shit! What the hell is this!?"

While cruising along the empty oceans, storm clouds brewed and before they could even blink, a thunderstorm ensnared them whole. The sky went dark, and lightning and thunder roared above, powerful waves crashed against their ship ready to knock them over. And it got worse from there; much worse.

"Holy…" Kokonoe started.

"Shit…" Ragna finished.

Before them was a massive tidal wave; the wall of water towered over them, submerging them in its shadow. With nowhere to run or hide and their collision with the wave was imminent; one thing went through their minds as they watched the wave close in on to them.

"We're fucked…"

 **Four hours ago…**

It was cold and windy, the entire area surrounded by snow as a never ending blizzard struck down on the land. Laying in the snow were four people and a wrecked ship behind them; the sails of the ship torn up and the haul ripped in half. One of them started to groan, his hair almost invisible in the snow, but thanks to his bright red jacket, he was the easiest to spot.

The mans body screamed in pain, grunts and groans leaving him as he tried to rise. 'Damn it...' The platinum sighed at his tired limbs, he couldn't even move his arms or even his fingers. All that soon changed as the pain that constricted his body eased. He figured this was due to the Azure Grimoire, but he sensed a presnece and reluctantly opened his eyes to see how it was. They definitely meant no harm as they seemed to be healing him, but getting healed by a total stranger does raise a few questions.

The red jacket wearing criminal saw a woman with long blonde hair and her eyes a clear azure blue. She had on a strange white cloak, her cloak showing her stomach and covering nothing else really; even her thighs weren't covered. Not something to keep you warm in cold ass weather like this.

"Who…?" Once he spoke the girl jumped back and fled, but halted as a beast appeared before her; its fangs ready to sink into her flesh and its claws ready to tear her to shreds. The beast growled and stalked towards the quiet girl, the blond taking a few shaky steps back. Without warning, the beast quickly lunged at her, ready to eat her whole. The blond covered her face with her hands to block, but the attack never came. She slowly opened her eyes to see Ragna standing in front of her, his large sword driven right through the beast's chest. With a grunt, he drew his sword out of the beast as the monster fell with a thud. The man let out a sigh and sheathed his blade with a click.

"That was easy," He turned to the quiet girl and asked. "Are you ok? You idiot… You almost got eaten." The woman replied with a quiet nod as Ragna sweat dropped. 'Ok... Not such of a talker... Wait...' Now that his vision was unclouded, he took a careful and thourough examination on the woman before him. 'This girl...' There was something about her that seemed familar to him and it took him a second to realize what it was: her face.

Back at the prison, someone just like her appeared before him; the only difference being the hair and eye color. Then it hit him, he remembered just who, or in this case, what she was. 'A Prime Field Device?' He had a dozen questions as to why a Prime Field Device was out in the middle of nowhere, but it wasn't any of his business. "Well...thanks for the healing. Not sure how much longer I'd last in this cold ass weather."

The girl nodded and without a single word, she took off into the snowstorm, her figure slowly vanishing into the blizzard. Ragna had a mind to chase after her, but decided not to as her business was hers and his was his. Taking his attention from the odd girl, he took in his surroundings and gave an educated guess of where he was. "It's snowing, so this has to be…"

"Akitsu." He heard a voice from behind finish his thought. He turned around to see Kagura, Kokonoe and Rachel walking over to him.

"Akitsu, huh…? No wonder it's snowing so damn much…"

"Yeah… Not only are we off course…but," Kokonoe looks back at the ship to see it was a complete wreck. There was a massive hole in the hull and the deck was in shambles, the sails were torn up like paper in a paper shredder. "Our ship is out… Maybe we can find a town around here and head to a shipping guild…"

"Maybe… We are near water, but I'm not too familiar with around here. Never went to Akitsu much." Kagura said with an unsure shrug.

"Maybe we could follow that girl from before?" Ragna suggested and pointed to where the blond ran off to. "She might've come from a town somewhere near here."

"I'm cool with that. Normally women are the ones chasing me, but this is a good change of pace. Could be fun." Kagura smirked.

"You are a pig." Rachel scoffed as a thought of electrocuting him came to mind. He had it coming as he has tried to hit on her several times already. The only reason why she hasn't sent him to the afterlife was because he was useful and she needed all the help she could get; even if it was from a man like him. "Come now… Lest we lose her tracks in the snow."

They followed the footsteps and eventually lost them with the constant snow fall as they ended up wandering for an hour. After waking aimlessly they found a small town as Kagura picked out where they were. Apparently they were about a day away from Akitsu and five days away from their intended destination. Ragna raised a brow to his statement and asked why it would take so long if Yabiko and Akitsu weren't that far apart. What he was told made his jaw drop down to the cold snow covered floor.

"The Black Beast split the continent in HALF!? How big was this bitch!?"

"Very…" Kagura answered. "Having fought it myself, I'd say you were lucky being in that cell… I saw it happen myself."

"You've gotta be kidding me… That means Yabiko is just floating out in the middle of freaking nowhere…" This hit Ragna like a shit ton of bricks just fell on him. For this behemoth to have the power to split entire continents in half; it must have been one hell of a monster. Deciding to leave that topic for another time, they made their way into town in search for a shipping guild, but came to a halt as they found wanted posters of themselves.

They were beyond words.

They were horrendous.

Ragna looked like someone you should keep your kids away from with the smile he was sporting.

Rachel looked like some old hag that's lived for over a hundred years.

And Kagura looked like he just broke out of jail, which was ironically the case. At least they got that description right. But something about the picture irked, Kagura to no end as he had to point it out. The injustice was too great.

"They could've at least gotten my nose right…" Kagura groaned.

"That's your beef!?" Ragna shouted.

What was strange was that there wasn't one of Kokonoe, but this also worked to their advantage as—without a picture—they had absolutely no idea what she looked like. Seeing the gain in her being incognito, she went off in search of the shipping guild; leaving Ragna, Kagura and Rachel to rent a room, not wanting to risk being discovered.

 **Present...**

Now Ragna laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling and recollecting the hellish day he went through. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door open as Kagura stood before it, a woman by his side.

"I'll see you around?" Kagura asked her.

"Hehe… Maybe~" The woman giggled as Kagura walked in and closed the door.

"Damn," Kagura stretched his arms up and sighed. "It's been a while… That was great."

"Do I even want to ask what you mean by 'been a while'? Or is what I'm thinking right?"

"You're probably on the money." Kagura walked over to his bed on the other side of the room and dove into the bed. "Holy shit," He yawned and placed his hands behind his head. "What a day…"

"Tell me about it…"

"At least I got to have some time with that sexy woman… Actually, speaking of sexy women," Kagura sat up and looked at Ragna. "Rachel seemed like she's in a bit of pain. All that hissing while we walked and even when I saw her a few minutes ago... Can't say I'm not worried."

"…"

"I wonder what's up with her?"

"Who knows." Ragna said uncaringly. The Reaper got out of his bed, made his way over to his bright red jacket that hung over a chair and threw it on. "She could do whatever the hell she feels like…"

"Damn your cold. You don't care?" Kagura got no response from the Reaper; then asked with a deadpanned expression. "You two STILL fighting?"

"Fighting? Hah." Ragna laughed half heartedly and turned to Kagura. "Is that really how it looks?"

"Pretty much." Kagura replied.

"Whatever." Ragna exited the room and decided to have a walk around as he didn't feel like sleeping or lying down, he did enough of that already. The moment he took a step outside, he shivered a little from the cold and quickly stuffed his hands into his pockets before walking off. He kept his head down, trying to keep a low profile so he wouldn't alert the guards, but with those horrible ass pictures posted, he didn't think anyone would pick him out as the, Grim Reaper.

The criminal walked all over the city and before he knew it, Ragna found himself at the top of a small hill, looking over the small town from his high perch. He took a seat on the edge and looked up at the sky. The snowy night sky, the serenity of this night plucked a memory from the far reaches of his subconscious. "Tonight… It feels just like that day…" He closed his eyes as a memory played in his head, the voices echoing in his mind.

' _Dad…are we there yet?'_

' _Calm down, Ragna. Don't worry about that, just worry about keeping your brother safe and sound.'_

* * *

Night had already came down as a tall, well toned man with black spiky hair and two small boys with blond hair; one with spkiy hair a little crazier then the man and the other one more relaxed, walked through the quiet forest, the cool wind caressing their skin as it blew by. The two boys were Ragna and Jin, dressed warmly in thick fur coats and scarf and the bigger male; their father, dressed in a red jacket and scarf. This particular jacket was not your ordinary coat. It was a vibrant red, with two tails coming from the back. How he could keep warm with that jacket on was something Ragna couldn't figure out. The three came out the forest and onto a cliff. What they saw left them speechless; their eyes glimmering with excitement to what their father showed them.

Up in the sky were streams of light that changed color, the sight so beautiful and captivating that Ragna and Jin found themselves reaching up to the sky to try and touch it, but of course, they couldn't. The father looked at his two sons and smiled as he picked them up on his shoulders so they could get a better view.

"You like this better!?" The man laughed.

"Thanks, dad!" Jin smiled.

"Amazing…!" Ragna said in astonishment.

"These are the astral lights… They say Amaterasu made them in an attempt to show the word its beauty and radiance… Guess we're lucky to be so close to a god, huh?"

"Do you really believe in that stuff? That's for kids…" Ragna said.

"I can believe in what I want," He argued childishly. "Besides… You're more of a kid then me."

"Says the guy who can't cook stew without my help." Ragna smirked.

"Hey! That stays between us," The father whispered. "No reason to tell your mother…"

They shared a few laughs and stayed there for hours enjoying the view, gazing up at the beauty before them, not wanting to take their eyes off it, not even for an instant. Ragna's focus was soon taken off from the light as something wet tapped his nose. A bright smile found its way onto his lips as snow began to fall, the small crystals making the view even more spectacular.

"Oh! Brother! Dad! We should have a snowball fight!" Jin proposed.

"Hey," The man smiled. "That sounds like fun! Alright then!" He put the two of them down and took up whatever little snow that was on the ground and hurled it at Jin as the boy fell back. "I still got it! Haha!"

"That wasn't fair!" Jin stood back up and pouted.

"Sorry son, but a fight is a fight. You c—" The man's gloating was soon put to a stop as a ball of snow smacked him right in the face. The white powder slowly slid off his face as he looked deadpanned at the attacker.

"Just like you said, dad… A fight is a fight…" The attacker was none other than Ragna, as the small blond stuck his tongue out at him and took Jin and ran away. The father raised his fist up and gave chase as the three played in the falling snow, their laughs echoing through the night. Their snowball fight came to a close once they reached their limits and Jin fell asleep. Ragna took his sleeping brother on his back and carried him home, chuckling a bit to himself as he recalled their snowball fight. Maybe snowball fight was a bit too light for their recent engagement; that was a dog fight.

"Hey, Ragna."

"Yeah," The blond looked up at his father. "What is it, dad?"

"I want to show you something when we get home, ok?"

Ragna heard a distinct change in his father's voice as the normally sarcastic man, actually sounded serious. "Sure, that's fine." Ragna nodded. The rest of the way was silent as they soon came up to their village and ran the rest of the way home. They walked into their home, Ragna saying a quick hello to his mother before taking Jin to his room and covering him. The blond was soon called by his father, telling him to meet him outside.

Ragna quickly ran back outside and behind the house to meet his father, wondering just what was so important. When he saw what it was, all the oxygen in his body left him. It was a sword; his father's sword.

"This sword... I will pass it down to you when the time is right." The father said.

"Your sword…" Ragna marveled at the blade, he couldn't even call it a 'blade'; it was more like a massive slab. But it didn't matter what it was. To Ragna—it had to be the coolest thing he'd ever seen in his entire life, and it was even cooler when his dad used it. Ragna himself couldn't pick it up, but his dad could wield it like it was nothing. "But… Why are you telling me this…?"

"Ragna…You love your brother right?"

"…Of course I do..." Ragna said under his breath, a little embarrassed to admit it as a small blush came onto his cheeks.

"Then protect him… Swear to me that, whatever happens, you will keep Jin safe. Be there for him, ok?" He stabs the massive blade into the ground and motioned Ragna to come closer as the boy did. "Put your hand on the hilt, Ragna."

"O-Ok." Ragna nodded as put his hand on the blade. "Now, what?"

"Say it again… Prove it to me. That you'll do whatever it takes to protect, Jin." For once, his father was dead serious and all Ragna could do was answer him truthfully.

"I swear."

"Now…pick up the blade." His father commanded as he let it go. Ragna took a firm grip of the sword and tried his best to pick it up, using all his strength, but to no avail, the blade wouldn't budge. But, he didn't give up. He kept at it, his hands starting to bleed as the deep crimson liquid ran down the long black hilt. His father was entrusting this to him; he needed to prove that he was worth; that meant no backing down.

"I will…pick this up…! What kind of brother would I be…!" The sword slowly etched its way out from the ground as he took a firmer hold of the sword. "If I just gave up!" With a yell he pulls the blade out from the ground, the weight of the sword forced him to take a few steps back, but he managed to regain his footing and panted. His arms were shaking to the incredible weight of the sword, his arms ready to snap like branches.

"Do you feel that…? That's the 'weight' of your promise… Your conviction. Do you think you can handle such weight? And not just the weight of your promise," He said sternly. "That is the weight of a blade that can end someone's life..."

"The weight…" Ragna looked down at the massive blade that shook in his hands. With a determined glare, he gripped the sword as tight as he could to stop the trembling and echoed his father's words. "The weight of my promise… To end the life of another... To protect, Jin."

"Good… That look in your eyes is what I want to see, Ragna." The father praised.

"Did… Did I do it?" Ragna asked nervously. The look on his father's face was a little hard to read. He was almost never serious, but tonight was different; this whole new person and aura that his father exhilarated was brand new to him. His worry was put to rest as his father's usual smile came across his face, warming the blonds heart as he even forgot it was snowing.

"You did good my son… Now, I'm counting on you…"

* * *

'… _Protect, Jin… Keep him safe. You are the big brother after all. Make me proud, Ragna…'_

' _Ok, dad… Don't worry... He's safe with me...'_

Ragna looked down, his hair covering his eyes, the words of his father echoed in his head. The snow fell onto his face, turning into water and falling down his cheeks like tears. The Reaper sat there, thinking back on the promise he made with his father. The promise he failed to keep...

It tore him up inside. His heart sank as his father's words echoed in his mind once more, tears burning in his eyes. The family he knew and loved was gone, thrown into the ravines of time, never to resurface again. Now he was all alone; empty, with nothing guiding him except his own vengeful fury. He wanted the man who did this to him pay. But then he thought, what was the point?

Jin seemed to be doing just fine on his own and more importantly, just fine without him. So was this all worth it? The life he once enjoyed, the memories of that time, the ones that kept him alive and told him that, yes; he needed to find Hakumen and rip that son of a bitch a new one. These lovely memories soon turned to head splitting anger and this anger—this rage—morphed into depression.

The only thing he had to remember his father, was the sword sheathed on his waist and the coat he wore, but that wasn't enough to soothe his aching heart. He screamed in his head for his mother and father, his emotions like a raging whirlpool. He unsheathed the sword slowly and held it in front of him, the blade rattling in his trembling hands. Why!? Why did this have to happen!? He yelled again and again; the weight on his chest as heavy as his blade, his throat clenching as his voice quivered.

"I'm sorry…" Ragna closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. The Reapers throat constricted and unshed tears stung his eyes, begging to come out as his lower lip trembled. "I'm sorry… Dad, I'm so sorry… I couldn't do it… I couldn't protect him… I…! Damn it!" He took a shuddering breath and looked up into the sky; the stored tears that flowed wracked his body, robbing him the ability to speak. The snow that descended was just like that night. The cold flakes that fell on his face, the ones he and his family played in, were now painful reminders of a simple task he failed to accomplish. He set the slab of metal down before pulling his knees into his embrace and burying his head into his legs.

"Dad... I'm sorry…"

"So…this is where you were going? Nice view."

"!?" Ragna gasped and quickly turned around as he saw unexpected guest. "Kokonoe!? The hell are y—!?"

"Wipe the tears away would ya?" Kokonoe interjected.

"The hell do you want?" Ragna quickly turned away from her and wiped his tears away with his sleeve as buried his head back into his legs. "Go away…" He tried to say it as sternly as he could, but his quivering voice made that task impossible.

"First you ask me what I want and then tell me to go away? Choose one you, indecisive crybaby." The beastkin walked over to him, stopping a few inches away from him before talking again. "So you decided to come here and cry in secret huh…? I get that… Don't want anyone to see your soft side, but...too late for that now."

"Its got nothing to do with you," Ragna took another shaky breath to calm down before speaking once more. "Just go back to the Inn, I'll be there soon." He didn't have the patience to deal with her or even talk to anyone right now; he just wanted to be left alone.

Yet she still pressed on...

"…So you have a little brother, huh?"

"…"

"Couldn't help, but listen in… And you said, Jin, right? I can only assume—and I'm just spitballing here—that you're talking about, Jin Kisaragi."

"…"

"So, I'm right… Not that I really give a shit about your past," She said bluntly. "But I can pretty much guarantee whatever happened wasn't something good."

"…Just shut up and go…" Ragna clenched his pants like he was ready to tear them up. "I don't want to deal with you right now."

"And…? What if I don't go?" Kokonoe walked closer to him, stopping once she was right next to him. "What are you gonna do then…? You gonna try and kill me?" She asked, but got no response as she sighed and turned her gaze up to the night sky, the small white crystals landing on her face. "We're the same… You and I."

"What?" Her words caught the Reapers attention as he looked up at her. "The hell does that mean?"

"…Let me tell you a story… So shut the hell up and listen." Kokonoe stuffed her hands in her pockets and took a breath, a cloud of mist forming from the cold weather. "There was this girl… Had a normal family; well…as normal a family as you can have in this world. She had a mother who was human and a father who was a beastkin." She sat down beside the platinum and continued her story. "She also had a little sister… She was always happy, smiling and running around, begging to play. The big sister loved her little sister to death, but would get annoyed every now and again since the little sister wouldn't leave her alone."

"Sounds like a nice life…"

"I said to shut the fuck up didn't I?" Kokonoe snarled. "Wait till I'm done, then you can talk."

"Fine…" Ragna rolled his eyes.

"Glad we got that settled. Now," Kokonoe started up again. "This girl… The older sister… Putting it lightly: she was a bitch. When I say 'bitch' I mean a REAL bitch. She was never happy, she always wanted more." The pink haired woman stopped for second, sighing before starting up again. "She was a child prodigy and she had no idea that this gift attracted some…unwanted attention. This girl was taken away from her family, and she never saw them again."

"…"

"To this day… This girl hates herself and her very existence. Her own intellect caused her downward spiral into depression. Wanting revenge, she rebelled against the organization the man worked for, wanting to kill him for separating her from her family. But she got caught and sent away…" A long heavy silence took up the duo as Ragna waited a couple more minutes before talking; minding the mood and not wanting to get slapped. He was already hurting emotionally, he didn't need any more pain adding onto it.

"…Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ragna asked.

"It's because…what you're doing right now is pointless. Why are you crying? You've got nothing to cry about…" Kokonoe said solemnly as she leaned back and pressed the snow covered ground with both hands. "You can't cry over what you don't have. That's how I look at life."

"Well you've got a pretty gritty way of looking at life. Not that I can really say I'm any better…" Ragna sighed. "But, you're wrong…"

"I am?" Kokonoe turned her head to him and furrowed a brow. "How come?"

"Let's take 'this girl' for example," Ragna started, letting out a slight chuckle as he did so. "Her parents aren't dead… Say she cried? Doesn't she—if we're gonna use your logic," He quickly added. "Have something to cry about since her family is still alive? Isn't she crying because she misses them?"

"…"

"It's only natural to show remorse… It's what it means to be alive—to be human. That girl—no, that idiot," Ragna chuckled with a slight smirk on his face. "Is still alive."

"…That 'idiot' isn't human, you know..."

"She isn't human? So damn, what? It doesn't matter if you're human or not," Ragna said. "She was a normal girl… I know, even now, I bet she still misses her parents," He looks up to the sky, the cold, winter breeze caressing their skin; the wind rustling and swaying their hair. "Like I miss mine..."

"…Yeah," Kokonoe sighed and peered up at the snowy night sky. A sadness encompassed the beastkins eyes as her eyelids descend halfway. "I bet she does..." The half breed closed her eyes and leaned over as her head slowly landed on his lap with a soft pat.

"What are you doing?"

"Just shut up and stay still… I'm tired." Kokonoe yawned and patted her lips, groaning a bit as she got comfortable on his lap. "I think… I talked too much." She yawned again.

"So you just do whatever the hell you feel like doing?"

"Is there a problem? When a woman lays down on your lap, it's best you just shut up and let them. You never know what might happen next..."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to understand you..." Ragna sighed.

"What?" Kokonoe snickered. "Can the big bad criminal not handle women~?" She teased.

"Oh, shut the hell up…" Ragna groaned with a slight blush on his cheeks. Kokonoe couldn't help, but find some enjoyment in watching him squirm and act out; Ragna on the other hand was ready to throw the chuckling beastkin right off the edge, but decided not to. If she intended to or not, she helped ease the strain off his chest and he couldn't help, but chuckle a little. "One hell of a pep talk… You know, you kinda suck at it, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said nonchalantly.

"But...thanks. I think I needed that..."

"Sure. Whatever. Just don't go blabbing this to anyone, or I'll claw your damn eyes right out." Kokonoe threatened.

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes. "I won't tell a soul that you're nothing, but hot air."

"Just shut up and let me sleep will you?" She snarled with a slight dash of pink on her cheeks.

"So, I'm just letting you know," Ragna smirked as he placed a hand on her head and stroked her, his hand running from the top of her head to half way down her hair. "If you fall asleep, I ain't carrying you."

"Heh," A small smile found its way onto her lips as she said in a soft tone. "I didn't ask…"

* * *

"Finally... Jin really does have it rough..." With a proud nod, Tsubaki finished up the rest of her paper work and quickly set it aside, taking a long breath at a job well done. The secretary gets up and makes her way to the infirmary to check on, Jin. Her heart raced; she didn't know if he was ok or did his fever get even worse. These questions could only be answered once he saw him, and thankfully, he was just fine: awake even.

"Jin!" Tsubaki smiled and ran over to him.

"Tsubaki…" The worn Major turned on his right cheek and smiled back at the redhead. "You seem to be sweating, Tsubaki. Are you ok?"

"Mm-hm. I'm ok. How about you?"

"My fever has vanished and now I can walk freely. I had plans to just leave early, but I could've sworn I heard someone say to wait…"

"!"

"I do not know who this voice was, but I felt like listening to it. Strange, yes?"

"O-Oh, um… Not really…" Tsubaki's eyes dropped to the ground as she clasped her hands with her thighs and blushed. Did he hear what she said? Or worse… Does he know what she did? A deeper shade of red, deeper than her own hair even, appeared on her cheeks. 'Oh no… What if he did know…!? Oh,' She whimpered in her head. 'This is so embarrassing…!'

"Tsubaki, you're not having a fever too, are you?" Jin interrupted her thoughts as the redhead visibly jumped. "You seen to be a little flushed."

"N-No… But, Jin. Was this voice…that important that you had to listen to it?"

"I'm not sure what it was, but… I believe so. It's weird, but… It sounded much like you, Tsubaki. So I suppose that's what made me listen to it." Jin sat up and threw the sheets off of him as he stretched his limbs. "Come here, Tsubaki." He put a hand on the back of her head as visible steam came out of the blushing woman's ears.

"J-Jin, w-w-what are you doing!?" She asked nervously.

"Just come here." Jin pulled her in and set his forehead softly on hers and closed his eyes. "You do not seem to have a fever… At least that's good."

"I-I… U-Um…!"

"Wow… Talk about dense. Try looking into a woman's perspective huh?" A voice said. The two turn to the voice in question as a rather mature woman stood in the doorway. She had vibrant pink hair, a purple cape and pointy purple hat with curved thigh high stocking and large hefty breasts that were ready to pop out of her top. The woman walked over to them, her heels clapping on the floor and her breasts bouncing with each step.

"Nine… What are you doing here?"

"I came here to tell you to pack up, since we're leaving bright and early tomorrow. Or did you forget the meeting while sleeping?" The woman asked with a raised brow.

"No, I did not," Jin sighed. "I am just not looking forward to it."

"I just came here to remind you," Nine walked away, waving her hand over her shoulder. "Make sure you two get some sleep." She walked out the room, Tsubaki and Jin soon following suit as they ready their things for the upcoming trip to Ohkoto. Jin couldn't give a rats ass about what was going on, but Tsubaki on the other hand was jumping, squealing like a schoolgirl over seeing, Hakumen.

She idolized him and the Six Heroes for the victory in the Dark war; well...four out of six, since one of them—a certain snake—didn't seem all that heroic to her and the other one was dead. She's seen every single movie, read all the books and even had posters on her wall in her room. That little tid bit was one nobody needed to know though…

"To see, Mr. Hakumen! I can't wait!"

"Uh-huh…" Jin nodded uncaringly at the girls excitement. "I am jumping out of my boots…"

"Oh come on, Jin. Can't you be a little happy?" Tsubaki groaned and stuffed the last piece of her luggage in her suitcase. "We're about to meet THE Hakumen! I've been dreaming of this day!"

"You see, Nine everyday."

"That's not the point," Tsubaki pouted. "The LEADER of the Six Heroes! He looks so calm and collected, he took charge against the Black Beast and stared it down without fear!"

"Uh-huh… Yes, he did."

"If I could just talk to him..."

"This is not a field trip, Tsubaki. This is work." Jin said sternly. "This is not the time to fantasize."

"Is that your way of saying you're jealous~?" A teasing voice said.

"No, Makoto… But saying that to you will do little for me since you wouldn't listen." The Major looked to the door and saw a smiling woman leaning on the doorhenge. She had a big fluffy tail sticking out from the back of her and ears on her head, giving away that she was a beastkin. She had on an orange colored top with black in the middle, parting down the middle under her large breasts, with folden sleeves, a orange cloth-like skirt, long black stockings and orange boots.

"Makoto!" Tsubaki quickly hugged the beastkin and it was returned hundred fold. The girls giggled and separated from each other. "You finished your mission!?"

"Yep," Makoto nodded and said with a cocky smile. "And in flawless effort if I do say so myself. But enough about me," The squirrel smiled giddily. "What are you doing here!?"

"I was assigned as Jin's temporary secretary."

"Oh~?" Makoto smiled naughtily and nudged at her friends sides. "I guess that means you two have been alone a lot lately~"

"It's not like that!" Tsubaki exclaimed as her face lit up like a flame.

"Sure… So how far have you two gotten? Just a kiss?"

"Nothing!" The redhead growled in frustration. What made it worse was she wasn't entirely wrong about the kiss part as she did, but it wasn't an actual kiss. To avoid anymore questions from her friend, she took her stuff and raced out the room, the beastkin soon giving chase as their commotion echoed throughout the halls. Jin just shook his head in annoyance and gathered his things to leave, locking the door behind him.

Now halfway down the hall does he run into a rather surprising smiling woman. She had long blond hair, emerald green eyes that matched his own, and a large blue coat on. "Hi, brother," She greeted him, her voice very light and gentle. "I guess Makoto's still bugging you two."

"Indeed she is," Jin sighed in annoyance. "It is heavily irritating."

"But it's not like she's wrong." The blond smiled.

"I don't want to hear that from you, Saya." Jin rubbed his temples and walked passed his chuckling sister, the blond quickly going after him as they left the branch, chatting each other up on their way home.

"I was surprised when I heard, Tsubaki was stationed here. Guess you must've been happy to see her after graduating, huh, Jin?" Saya asked, but received no response from, Jin; so she just took his silence as a, yes. The pair made their way down the empty streets as the flickering streetlights illuminated the way to their home. The blond looked down and sighed. "Look, Jin… I know...I'm not your real family...and your real family maybe out there, but…"

"What brought this up?" Jin inquired from the rather abrupt and odd topic she brought up.

"I heard what happened today. You collapsed and I have a hunch I know why." Saya was also aware of his rather odd memory recollections. Well, it wasn't really a 'recollection' since he couldn't remember anything, but she knew what he was going through and, like Tsubaki, tried to help him regain his lost memories. Sadly they always came up empty and Saya could see it in his eyes that he wanted answers. "I mean, I'm just like you... If there's anything you want to talk about just—" The blond quickly stopped her tracks as did Jin."Come out. Now." She said sternly.

There was a moment of silence that took them up, but was taken up by rustling bushes. From the rustling bushing, a certain intelligence Captain emerged and tipped his hat off to them. "Good evening, Major Kisaragi. Lieutenant Kisaragi."

"And goodnight." Saya reached under her coat and pulled out two large guns, the nox nyctores bolverk. She took form, ready to engage Hazama as did Jin, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. Hazama waved his hands rapidly and said in a panic.

"Easy—Easy! Can we just talk for a minute!?"

"You should've said that first before following us…" Jin scowled.

"L-Look, I can't fight, ok? Besides, I haven't done anything!" Hazama said with a shaky voice.

"You're alive…" Jin said coldly.

"Ouch… Jeez, you're cold…" The green haired man sighed. "I just wanted to say that we'll be on the same ship tomorrow. Just trying to get a feel of my roommates."

"Is that all?" Saya asked, not believing a single word he was saying as that murderous aura she detected just moments ago, sprang from him. He was up to something. The questions was; what exactly?

"Yes, that's all. Besides, my house is this way, so I just took this shortcut like you guys are doing." Hazama said, but it didn't seem to calm them down any as their weapons were still at the ready. "U-Um…"

"Haaah…" Jin let out a sigh as he lowered his guard. "You are wasting my time. Get out of my sight."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Hazama quickly scurried off. Saya didn't take her finger off the triggers and watched the whimpering Captain run out of sight and hearing range. With his presence gone, the blond lowered her guns and placed them back in her holsters. The chilling and malicious aura that surrounded them vanished into thin air, proving her earlier assumption was correct. If they were even a second late; their lives might've come to an end.

"Jin…"

"I know…" Jin felt it too, the heavy malevolence that ensnared them; all of it coming from a certain intelligence captain. Hazama was definitely hatching a plot and Jin knew who his conspirator was. 'Yuuki Terumi...' That man, the so called 'hero' was definitely no hero in his eyes. That foul stench that came off both him and Hazama was riddled with malicious intent and blood. Whatever they were plotting, it wasn't anything small and it wasn't anything good.

They started off again, making it to their house in less than ten minutes as the two ate, took their baths, and went upstairs to their rooms. As Jin laid in bed, someone came to mind as he uttered their name under his breath. "Ragna the Bloodedge..." There was something about him that felt...familiar in a way. Their duel in the prison couldn't have been the first time they met... No. He was sure of it. That was not their first encounter. His eyes, the way he moved, the way he spoke, was all too familiar to, Jin. Maybe Terumi wasn't the only answer to his conundrum. Maybe the answer lied in this so called—Grim Reaper.

"Ragna the Bloodedge… Just who are you to me…?"

 **That brings this chapter to a close. The next story to be updated will be infinite possibilities. Hope whoever read this found some enjoyment out of it and I hope to see you or hear from you. Read, review and I'll see you next time! Thank you Lord rikudou for reading this over for me. Appreciate it. Oh and I messed up lol. I didn't realize that I put swords for Saya instead of Bolverk. Oops...**

 **Next Chapter 5: The Puppeteer**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5: The Puppeteer**

Snow fell down from the sky in a swaying motion, the hour of twelve already come and gone with the citizens already in the homes sitting by their fireplace and getting ready for bed. Along these empty, snow covered streets, Ragna strolled, a half sleeping Kokonoe thrown ruggedly over his shoulder. Subtlety wasn't his strong suit, whether she was comfortable or not on his shoulders was her problem. Just moments ago he was a total mess. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed that someone found him in that pitiful state, but Kokonoe really didn't care much so he doubted she'd go telling others.

"Is there any other way you could carry me?"

"Hey, your fault for fallin' asleep. You should be lucky I didn't leave you there," Ragna looked over his shoulder. "I could always put you down and make you walk the rest of the way."

"No, no, this is fine... To be honest, I can't even feel my legs, so I wouldn't be able to walk anyway." Kokonoe was drained from her running around for the shipping guild, not getting a wink of sleep ever since they crash landed here. All she wanted to do now was sleep in her warm bed, which she was really looking forward to.

"That's what I thought." Ragna looked ahead and saw the Inn just a few houses away. From the Inn, Kagura walked out and came in their direction. The former Black Knight didn't seem to register them until they got closer to each other, a bit confused why Ragna was carrying Kokonoe.

"Should I even ask?"

"No," Ragna replied bluntly.

"Yeah, I think I'll just leave it here... But you know, women like to be carried with care."

"Yeah, see, I don't give a fuck. But what I need to know is where the hell you're off too?"

"Well, I wanted to check on what the guild is gonna do with our ship, whether or not they're gonna get it fixed or not. Kokonoe said there were a few problems, then she left, saying she saw a 'certain idiot' walking away and got interested."

"Is that right?" Ragna held back a growl and looked over his shoulder at Kokonoe. Now he really wanted to drop her, but they were already here so it wouldn't make any sense. Kagura gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked off, waving back to them as he walked. Ragna continued on from where Kagura just departed from, opening the door into the warm tavern. The Reaper made his way up to Kokonoes room, tossing the woman off his shoulder on the bed, the beastkin landing with a slight bounce. Kokonoe pulled the sheets over her with a groan and finally went to sleep, not caring too much about her rough landing. Now that Kokonoe was off his hands...well—shoulder, he could head to bed. He turned to the door ready to leave but stopped when he saw a shadow approaching, one with a familiar figure. The owner of the shadow stopped before the door once they saw Ragna and stared blankly at him.

"Mind telling me what you are doing in my room?" It was Rachel and she was no longer in her usual black dress. She had on a silky white night gown that stretched to just over her feet, her hair a bit wet most likely from taking a shower.

"It's none of your business."

"I see," Rachel asked no further questions and walked passed him, sitting on a chair next to the window. A moment of stillness took up the room until it was broken by Ragna.

"What is it?"

"I never said anything."

"But you want too."

"Why does it matter to you? Just a few days ago you held me by my neck and threatened to kill me," Rachel felt her heart stop for a moment, the image of Ragna's murderous gaze implanted in her mind. Ragna stayed quiet and merely stared at her. "Besides, you hate me, do you not?" Rachel turned to him and looked the Reaper dead in the eyes, awaiting his answer. She put on a brave face, but she was a bit disheartened by his choice of words after seeing after so long. After everything that happened between them, Rachel knew the chances of even seeing him were slim at best, but with their separation at an end, she was happy to see him once more. Though that happiness was thrown back in her face, not like she didn't see it coming. "Anyway, you should go to bed now. Kagura said as much."

"I saw him... But that's not what you want to talk about. So what is it?"

"It is nothing," Rachel turned to the window to hide the faint blush that appeared over her pale features. There was something she needed to ask him pertaining to her revival. There was no sugar coating it, she should be dead. Yet here she is, alive. Why is that? Rachel tried to keep that topic under wraps however as there wasn't a need to bring up. Still, she was curious to what that strange taste was and that warm feeling that welled up within her, not to mention Ragna's sudden change in hair color, though that was the least of her concerns. "What is with your sudden interest? Until now you have not uttered a word to me. Is there something you wish to ask me?" Rachel thought it best to flip the question back on him, maybe there was something he wanted and if she could, she wanted to hold this conversation as long as she could.

"...No. It's nothin'."

Well so much for that plan...

"I see. Well, goodnight, Ragna." All that was heard after that was Ragna's footsteps clapping on the wooden floor and the slow creak of the door that closed behind him. Rachel looked behind her at the door, the sadness she held back now depicted on her face. The vampire lamented over the past, something she found herself doing more often. She has accepted her wrong doings, the person she held most dear to her heart now wants her dead; he said so himself. Rachel took a solemn sigh and stood up, looking up at the moon above. "I believe it is time I go to bed." The young vampire went into her bed, covering herself completely to go to sleep, but she couldn't.

 _I wonder...is there any way I can make up for this?_

Rachel reached into her gown and took off the necklace around her neck, the necklace Ragna gave to them as kids. It was the only thing she had of him now, a time where he could smile at her and she could smile back. "When things are broken, sometimes they can't be fixed..." Rachel clenched the pendent and held it to her chest, holding it like her life depended on it. How ironic; her most treasured possession is a reminder of her past transgressions. Just thinking about it made the vampire chuckle. In time sleep took her away, the vampire snoring soundly. Unknown to her, Ragna was still outside, leaning against the door.

"That idiot..."

* * *

Saya and Makoto sat in the catering bay of their NOL carrier, chatting and laughing with each other as they usually do, but this time was different. Makoto noticed a change in demeanor from her usually cheery friends expression. She looked worried. Saya soon went silent, her eyes staring aimlessly into her coffee cup, Makoto's words falling upon deaf ears as Saya interpreted them as nothing but senseless noise, her mind wandering away from her.

"Saya!" Makoto slammed her hand on the table, scaring the blond as she let out a shriek. "What's up with you? You're acting weird."

"Y-Yeah," Saya nodded and downed her coffee. There was something else that took her away from the real world. "I'm just a bit tired. H-Hey, I'm going to go and take a nap." Saya wobbled out her seat and without another word to Makoto, walked off, leaving the worried beastkin behind. She staggered to her room, throwing herself inside and quickly closing the door. She slid down the door, landing on the floor with a pained grunt, sweat pouring down her face as just breathing became a chore. Saya found her vision turning black on her, but there wasn't anything really wrong with her; this has happened many times.

She was being summoned.

 _What did 'she' want now?_

Saya now found herself standing in a dark abyss, her gaze locked onto a violet haired woman just a few feet away from her. Her long hair stretched all the way down her back, a ceremonial dress dawned and a rather chilling smile on her lips, her eyes lifeless red rings.

"Izanami..."

"Child." Her tone and presence were divine, the confidence that exuded from the woman made the air toxic and hefty.

"What do you want? You've been calling me for a while now." The dizziness Saya was experiencing was due to the violets interference. Anytime, which was rare, Izanami wished to speak with her, her body would undergo a rather draining undertaking. So far she's managed to play it off and avoid suspicion. Not like anyone would believe her if she told them what was really going on.

"I am just interested in what seems to be going on around you..." Izanami walked over to Saya, stopping right in front of her and looking her dead the eyes. "There seems to be quite a story about to unfold. What I would like to know is what you plan on doing about it?"

"I don't need to tell you," Saya has faced Izanami several times and has grown accustomed to her which intrigued the violet. "Not like it would matter anyway. It's not like your going to help me."

"You still wish to find save those 'sisters' of yours? I think you should count your blessings that I helped you escape that wretched place. Now you wish to delve back into it?"

"You didn't help me... You took control of me. You killed them all." Saya's eyelids dropped halfway, her baleful gaze forming a smile upon the woman's face. "Besides, they're 'our' sisters. And once I save them, I'll save you too."

"Save...? Heh. Hahahaha! Save me!?" Izanami, who was calm mere moments ago, was now laughing hysterically at the top of her lungs, her back arching and her head thrown backward. "I see! We are 'sisters' after all! It is only natural that you wish to 'help' me! What foolishness," her collected attitude resurfaced. Izanami took Saya's chin in her cold fingers. "To try and 'save' me is a fool's errands."

"You know... I pity you."

"Oh?" Izanami allowed a smile to grace her lips, the violet a bit interested in what she had to say. "Pity me? What an odd thing to say."

"Are you sad? Sad that your all alone...not even knowing who you really are?" Izanami, known far and wide as the goddess of death and a former member of the Sankishin. As stated in legend, she and Amaterasu fought, devastating the land and is said to be the cause of the daemonblight. Their battle sundered the very stars and brought hell up from the grasp of Hades, giving Izanami her full name; Hades: Izanami. At first, Saya was stunned that she harbored the one and only death goddess said to be only a myth, but in actuality, she couldn't confirm any of this information with her. After all, you can't confirm what you don't remember.

"Sad? Me? What a foolish and interesting thing to say. My memories mean nothing to me. Whether I have them or not has no bearings on me, child," Izanami folded her arms beneath her chest. "If you think I will succumb to such a foolish human emotion like 'sadness', then you are sorely mistaken."

"Hah. You really are pathetic, 'big sister'," Saya couldn't help but chuckle. "The death goddess is nothing but an empty shell; a doll. What other feelings could I show you but pity? "

"You have quite the mouth on you today," Izanami held back a snarl as the corner of her lip etched. "Do you think it is wise to keep provoking me like this? Patient, I may be, but forgiving...that is something entirely **different."** Her tone changed to a more dominant and callous one, her eyes staring daggers into her soul, a glare you'd expect from the goddess of death herself. However, Saya stood unfazed at her harrowing gaze. There was a time where just imagining her eyes kept her up at night, now, all it did was make her sad. Izanami saw her expression and clicked her teeth at her. "This has grown rather tiresome. I thought you could provide some entertainment for me," Izanami turned her back to her and took a few steps away from Saya. "But it seems as if you are in capable of doing something so simple." Silence took up the void once more, the silence being ceased by clapping boots from behind her. They stopped as two arms came around her waist and held her tight, the arms belonging to Saya. Izanami paid them no mind, not even darting her an eye.

"Izanami, try as you might, you will not intimidate me. You can give me your worst nightmares, torture me, but don't you even think of laying a finger on my loved ones. Do that and I will spend the rest of my days hacking away at that black void you call a heart."

"You have overstepped your bounds," Izanami looked over her shoulders at Saya, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "You **DARE** threaten me, child?"

"I do." Saya's eyes locked onto Izanami's as their vicious staring contest continued for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly a powerful gust of wind sprouted from Izanami, shattering the dark space as Saya found herself no longer in a dark vacuum, but beside a massive hole in the ground with lava pooling within. She knew this well; it was a cauldron. Saya turned back to Izanami and found her looking away from her once more. "Why are you showing me this?"

"I must know when to give praise to noteworthy mortals. Not only are you able to contain me, you have the will to stand against me," Izanami turned to the cauldron and peered into it, the light from the lava shining on her face. "My memories are not forgotten child, just distorted. I have an idea as to whom is causing the lapse in my memory, but you are not ready to face such an enemy."

"Are you actually worried about me?"

"Hardly. You are my 'Yoshiro'. If you were to die, I would vanish and become nothing. I do not have the strength to maintain my spiritual form in the real world."

"But can you tell me what you remember?"

"Tis none of your business. Now unhand me." Izanami commanded.

"No," Saya tightened her grip. "Not until you tell me about yourself. This is the first time you've ever held a conversation with me for this long. Maybe we can reach a common ground."

"You are not, but a fool if you think you and I will ever become close," Izanami saw she wasn't going to let go and let out a defeated sigh. This girl was testing her patience now, but she has come this far, no need to hold back now. "I recall an empty white space and a large gate. With me were the Master Unit and two others, most likely the other Sankishin. Not only that but something blue... The Azure."

"Azure?"

"The power at the root of everything in this world. For now, I remember not but my name and title. I do not recall anything else prior, but I believe this cauldron holds the key to restoring me."

"How come? Why this cauldron in particular?"

"Do you know what a cauldron really is?" Izanami's question was met with no answer, so she went on. "They are gate ways into another plane of existence known as the boundary; where the seithr lies, but of course you already knew that. But within this realm of seithr, lies information of all. 'The world's memory'."

"The world's...?"

"This is the beginning... Zero."

"Zero? But whats the point in telling me this?" Saya asked. "If these are just your fragmented memories, then telling me wouldn't do anything. So why?"

"I wish to see what you will use this knowledge for. Will you be able to save those so called 'sisters' of yours or not? Will I be able to retrieve my forgotten memories? I have not been this excited in quite some time," Izanami giggled. "And the day I see that pretty little face of yours break and fall into despair is a day I look forward. To watch 'Doomsday' bring this world to its knees, to see your realization of your own powerlessness... There is quite a bit to look forward to." Izanami felt Saya's arms leave her and watched as she walked in front of her. Quicker than she could blink, Saya gave her a peck on her cheek with a bright smile.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind! Thank you, big sister!"

"You are a strange one..."

"It doesn't matter what you think of me," Saya hugged her once more, her arms wrapped warmly around the death goddess. "You can hate me all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that I still love you and I'll do whatever I can to make sure you get out of here. I know my heads a bit cramped, but it won't be for much longer."

"The moment I escape, I will kill you."

"I won't die. If that happens, I'll stop you, then I'll give you a helping hand and hug you just like this," Saya's body began to glow as her voice began to waver and echo like the inside of a tunnel. "I hope we can meet soon... I have a lot of cute clothes I want you to try..." Her voice was no louder than a whisper until finally disappearing along with her body altogether. Izanami stood there alone and turned to face the cauldron beside her. She placed a hand on the spot Saya kissed and caressed it, her words echoing through her mind. The death goddess moved her hand from her cheek and clenched her fist over her chest.

"That girl...irks me."

* * *

It was 8:00 p.m. in the third hierarchical city of Iwasu, a man with blond hair, a yellow mask, and purple cape sat at his desk in the NOL branch looking through a few papers, the lights off with the moonlight peering through the curtains. This man was none other than Relius Clover. He scanned the documents in his hands at light speed, swapping between reports with each passing second. Finishing his last report with an uninterested sigh, he placed them down neatly on his desk and put them to the side. Relius Clover, a man known far and wide for his achievements in not only the scientific field but also the magical field as well, helping the Great sage Nine in advancing Ars Magus technology. Though his name isn't brought up in simple table talk, it is feared and even scorned at times because of his rather odd nature. He doesn't care about anything besides his research and will do whatever he can to ensure success.

"If you wish to come in, come in, Carl. It is a waste of time to stand outside if you have something for me."

"Excuse me." A shrill voice came from the opposite side of the door. With a creak, the door open as the light from the hallway illuminated the room and a small boy wearing almost identical clothes to Relius, besides the color, hat, and shorts, walked in. He had big round glasses with blue eyes and blond hair. This boy was the son of Relius: Carl Clover. He walked over to his father and handed him an envelope with a red magic seal in the middle. Relius hummed as he examined it for a moment, opening the envelope and nodding. Carl figured it was a secret message and wondered what could be so important that only Relius was supposed to hear it. Relius suddenly pushed out his chair and stood up, startling Carl a bit.

"Akitsu, hm?"

"Father? What happened?"

"I have a job, nothing more. Come, Carl," Relius walked passed him. "Let us go home."

"R-Right..." Carl followed after his father, the duo making their way out the branch. They lived on the upper levels of Iwasu, so their home was just a few minutes away. The boy moaned and groaned to himself as they walked, his constant noise catching his fathers ears.

"Carl, is there something you wish to ask me?"

"Kind of," Carl reached into his pocket and pulled out a flyer. Relius took it from him and read it over, the flyer apparently advertising a new restaurant that opened up a week ago called 'The Devil's Dinner'. Relius caught a whiff of the name several times by his co-workers but paid it no mind as it never interested him. "I was wondering if we could go? We haven't eaten out in so long so I thought maybe we could..."

"Your mother cooks fine dishes at home, do not be ungrateful."

"I'm sorry... You're right." Carl hung his head down and sighed. Relius was always busy with work nowadays, never taking a day off and stuck in his office. It's been six years since they all went out to eat together, even just a family dinner was too much since he always had dinner alone in his study. Carl knew it was more than a long shot, but he wanted their family to have a night out every once in awhile.

"However,"

"?"

"It would not hurt to eat out." Relius stuffed the flyer in his pocket and he kept on walking, leaving Carl behind and speechless. He couldn't believe what he just heard his father say: he said yes. A small smile found its way onto his lips, he was so happy he could cry, but he would probably be scolded by his father so he held them back, wiping whatever managed to get out and ran after his father. The two now stood in front of their home, Relius leading his son inside as the two were greeted by two women. One was Relius' wife; Ignis, she had short blond hair and blue eyes while his daughter, Ada; had long blond hair and was a bit shorter than her mother. Carl ran over to them and jumped on them, telling them the big news which shocked them both.

"Really!?" Ada gasped.

"Carl has been doing well, it is only natural I reward him. Though he can still do better, he is making progress." Relius walked over to his wife and said. "There is a job I need you to accompany me with tomorrow."

"Is it that dangerous you need me?"

"It could be and I wish to finish as quickly and efficiently as possible. Normally I wouldn't resort to making you 'its' vessel, but I will be dealing with some noteworthy individuals."

"I understand," Ignis nodded. "So it looks like we're having breakfast instead of dinner!" Ignis' smile broke the tension as Ada and Carl jumped.

"That's even better!" Carl yelled.

"Wait, Ignis, I didn't mean—!"

"So it's decided!" Ignis quickly took Ada and Carl away, leaving Relius by himself and for once in his life: confused.

"What have I agree to...?"

* * *

Jin sat in his room, his finger intertwined and eyes staring into the driftlessness of space, one man clouded his mind. This man being none other than, Ragna the Bloodedge. The so called 'Grim Reaper' ran rampant through the NOL, but Jin had a different mind set toward the criminal. There something bothering him that he just could not fathom; why did he care so much? He had never met this man before, yet he seemed to have a deep fascination with him. Jin knew he didn't swing for both teams and others would have some rather...unpleasant thoughts about him and the Reaper, but there was something missing; a reason why he seemed so close to him.

 _Did I know him in the past?_

Jin figured the only way this could make any sense was if he and Ragna were well acquainted in the past or...if he was family. The way he looked Jin was odd, to say the least, but not unsettling. It was almost: nostalgic. The thought of running out in search of the man crossed his mind several times, but it would amount to nothing. There was no way he could track him down or get the resources TOO catch him. Jin could no longer just sit down, he needed some fresh air to avert his mind from Ragna. The Major got up and walked out to the open deck, leaning against the railing as the midnight breeze danced in his hair.

 _This feels...good._

This seemed to do the trick well for him, a laugh coming from Jin as he looked up to the moon.

 _I hate the moon..._

For whatever reason, anytime he uttered that sentence a small chuckle would leave him mixed with a slight bit of irritation. Jin didn't know why he did, but he hated the moon, having a dream once that the moon fell on him. Ever since then, he's been scared shitless of the moon. Then again, the full moon filled the young man with not only nostalgia but melancholy; like he always shared this sight with someone important. A lover perhaps? No, a bit too cliche for his taste. His family? A very high possibility. Jin's thoughts ran with different ideas but were chased by a soft and melodious voice, the voice like angel bells through the night.

"Tsubaki," Jin turned to see his childhood friend walking up to him and asked. "What are you still doing up? I figured you would be asleep by now."

"I couldn't sleep and I saw you walking by, so I followed you."

"So you were watching me?"

"Forgive me... I didn't mean to pry, you just seemed tense and I wanted to see why." Tsubaki stopped in front of him. "Is that bad? I could go back if you want to be alone."

"Stay," Jin turned back to face the moon. "I wouldn't mind someone to talk to." A smile formed on the redhead's lips as she went beside Jin and looked out. She was also aware of Jin's hatred of the moon and chuckled at a distant memory. There was a time where Jin held Tsubaki and wouldn't let go because he thought the sky would fall on him. Jin saw her laughing and knew what it was about, but chose to ignore it and smile at her. Tsubaki caught his smile and asked.

"Whats wrong, Jin? You're smiling."

"Is it that out of place?"

"N-No, it's just I don't see you smile a lot and wondered what you were smiling about. That's all. If you don't want to tell me, that's ok."

"I was smiling at you, Tsubaki. Just you being here has put my heart at ease, so I thank you."

"Oh," Tsubaki dropped her gaze to the ground and turned her head away from Jin. "I um... I'm flattered." Her body began to sway, her thighs rubbing against each other as her intertwined fingers danced about. She eyed him a few times, trying her best not to make direct eye contact with him.

 _Why can't I just talk to him normally?_

Slight whimpers left her throat from her attitude toward Jin. Her affection for the man was as plain as day, Makoto, Saya, Nine and a few others knew about how she felt towards Jin and has even tried to give her a few pointers. Though every attempt ended in failure. Not because they didn't work, but because Tsubaki was too scared to go through with it. All she wanted to say were three simple words, but who knew saying them could be so hard. Tsubaki cursed her unease and tried her best to find ways and means to get around it, even practicing in the mirror, which Makoto caught her on and is to NEVER leave her mouth. That was a day Tsubaki could never forget.

 _Maybe...I can get HIM to tell ME how he feels..._

"Tsubaki, is everything alright?" Tsubaki jumped and turned to Jin, flustered and her heart beating like a drum. "I have been calling you for quite some time now."

"S-Sorry, I'm just thinking about meeting Lord Hakumen!" Tsubaki lied.

"Hakumen huh?" Jin's smile wavered a bit, but it didn't seem like Tsubaki noticed his displeasure.

"Y-Yes," Tsubaki nodded. "Just seeing him I feel like my heart is going to explode!"

"Hmph," Jin clicked his teeth and leaned his elbow on the ledge, resting his chin on her palm. "Well, I'm glad you think of him so highly." There was heavy distaste in Jin's voice, the man not even trying to hide his aggravation.

"What is it, Jin?" Tsubaki was a little worried about Jin's sudden change in attitude. Anytime she mentioned Hakumen's name, it always upset Jin.

"It's nothing," Jin told her.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not, just leave it alone."

"I won't until you tell me why you're so angry."

"I said it's nothing," Jin said a bit sterner to get his message across. "That's my business, Tsubaki."

"What's gotten into you?" Tsubaki clenched his arm. "You've been acting like ever since you got back from the prison. You haven't told me what happened yet. So please tell me, what happened at the prison? Why are you acting like this? I'm worried."

"There is no need to worry. I just need some time to think, Tsubaki. I do not mean to act cruel or distant, that is not my intent. I am a little troubled, that is all."

"Well...then share them with me. Not as a secretary or officer, but as a friend. I want to help you, Jin. Maybe you might not want my help, but I'm willing to give it. Let me help you." Tsubaki received no answer from Jin, the silence a bit unnerving. What was it all of a sudden? Tsubaki gulped and asked something that seemed to be what Jin has been digging into. "What happened between you and Ragna the Bloodedge? I know there's something." The moment she mentioned his name, the redhead felt his body twitch slightly. A bit of uncertainty came across his expression which worried her. Before she knew it, her arms were around him for a one sided hug.

"Tsubaki, what are you doing?"

"I don't know, but... I feel like I shouldn't leave your side, but you're trying to push me away. Is there something else that's going on? If so, let me help you." Tsubaki's arms were taken off by his sudden turn to her, her body was soon cradled by Jin which formed a deep red on her cheeks. "J-Jin?"

"...Do you remember our promise as children?"

"Of course I do, I could never forget it. That confused look on your face when I suddenly showed up and asked to play. Our promise... It means so much to me. There's no way I could forget something as important as that. It's impossible." Tsubaki smiled to the memory. It is one of her fondest memories. Tsubaki didn't talk to many children her age and since her home is inbreeding, Tsubaki was the only child to come out healthy. With that, she was lonely. But she found Jin and it was the greatest day of her life; she found someone she could call a friend. It wasn't much, but she didn't care. Soon she made more friends, Makoto and Saya, even meeting three of the six heroes, Nine, Trinity and Jubei, not to mention Nine and Jubeis daughter Celica.

"I wish to keep that promise, Tsubaki. It is very dear to me, as are you," Jin placed a gentle hand on the back of her head. "A storm is coming, Tsubaki. When it comes, I want to know I can shield you from it, to protect you."

"Jin..." Slowly Tsubaki's arms wrap around him, holding the Major like he held her. It was nice to just stand here like this, it made her heart skip a beat. But something else suddenly made it stop.

"Just the two I was looking for."

"!?"

'Murderous intent!'

Jin and Tsubaki whipped around to clapping footsteps. From the darkness of the door across the deck, Hazama appeared, hands in pockets and grin on his face. Before anything else, their weapons were summoned to their hands, gripped tightly and at the ready.

"Wow, warm welcome much? Guess you two are angry I ruined your little moment, but don't worry, this will only take a second," Hazama stopped a few feet before reaching them, unfazed by the glares he was shot. "I was looking for you two, Major Jin Kisaragi and Major Tsubaki Yayoi."

"Looking for us?" Tsubaki echoed.

"Yes. I have a few question for Major Jin Kisaragi and a concern regarding you. So..."

"!?" Tsubaki and Jin whipped around to see two snake chains at their necks, ready to bite. "Wha!?"

"Since when did—!?"

"Drop your weapons. Unless you want me to paint the deck red instead of blue. You don't want that right?" Hazama's usually closed eyes open to reveal his snake like eyes, a thick venom within them. With no other choice, their weapons vanished and their stances dropped. "Good, good. I'm glad we could reach an understanding. Now," He curled his finger as his snake chains reeled back into him. "Let's get down to business."

"What do you want? Make it quick snake."

"Between us, I think you're the snake. Always with the venom, but hey, isn't life just filled with sorrow?"

"What do you want? You said you had questions for Jin and me."

"Yeah, I did. Mostly for Jin, but I'll just knock your own out in one go." A devilish smirk crept on the side of his lip as Jin threw an arm in front of Tsubaki. "So tell me, Ms. Tsubaki, hows your eye sight? The Izayoi hasn't stolen your 'light' right?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just a concerned officer," Hazama turned his attention to Jin. "As for you, you came into contact with the Reaper, yet you survived. Not only that but from a few reports, you two seem well acquainted. Is there a reason why he seemed SO sympathetic to you, he not only let you live but protected you?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Ah yes, your memory lapse. Such a tragedy it was," A delish smile slowly formed on his lips followed by a dark chuckle. "I'm sure your 'brother' must be worried sick."

"Tch!" Jin quickly drew his sword, his face twisting in rage. "How in the hell do you know that!? Answer me!"

"Jin, calm down!"

"How do I know? I thought you didn't have any memories of the past? Were you lying the whole time? Do you REALLY have amnesia? Or is it something else...?" Hazama let out a chuckle and walked over to Jin, passing by his blade to share a deadly staring contest with the Major. "You're in quite a pickle aren't you?"

"I WILL kill you one day..."

"I would LOVE to see you try, but," Hazama's smile returned, so did his charismatic voice. He pulled away from Jin and turned his back to him. "That can wait until another time. You do want to see 'him' again. Ragna the Bloodedge?" The Captain looked over his shoulder, his venomous eyes open to menacing slits. "I'll look forward to your glorious reunion. I'm always here to help..." The green haired man snickered away, leaving a cumbersome air behind him. Tsubaki couldn't take her eyes off the door, sweat trickling down her face, but her attention was turned from the door to her hand, Jin's hand holding hers firmly.

"Tsubaki...be careful around that man."

"Right..." Tsubaki felt his hand shaking and gripped his to stop the shaking. Jin was actually pretty shaken up by his words and Tsubaki couldn't help but feel bad. He managed to hit all of his sore spots, but how? What else did he know? And what did he mean by 'brother'? And why did he mention Ragna's name? Nothing added up, but for right now she needed to keep him company. "I'm right here, Jin. And I always will be."

"Thank you."

* * *

Morning dawned upon Rachel, the sun coming to the small port town. Already there was noise coming from outside, children playing in the snow and shops being opened up. The vampire rose up, her hair in a mess with strands of it sticking out from the top of her head and her bangs over her face. She looked to her right and saw Kokonoe was gone, taking to account how deep she sleeps, Rachel wondered how come she was up so early. According to the clock, it was only minutes passed five.

I wonder if there is something going on...?

Rachel got up from the bed and walked out, finding Kokonoe outside her door just about to knock.

"You're up. Well, that saves time."

"What is it? Did something happen?"

"I'd love to know that myself," Kokonoe itched the back of her head. "Right now just hurry up and get ready, Kagura's got something to say and he won't say it until we're all together." With her message delivered she goes back downstairs to Kagura, Ragna soon joining them as they now waited for Rachel. Ten minutes passed and she hadn't shown up yet. Ragna tapped his finger on the table, letting out a few agitated groans here and there, his foot following suit.

"Just what the hell is she doing up there!?"

"Calm down for a second, she's a woman, and women need time."

"Screw that," Ragna stood up. "I'm dragging that stupid rabbit down here."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kagura warned, but his warning fell on deaf ears as the Reaper took off to Rachel's room. The man stopped next to the bathroom as he heard the shower running.

"Hey," Ragna knocked twice. "Rachel! I know you're in there! Hurry up!"

"Do not rush me roach," Rachel responded. "I shall be out in a minute. Wait downstairs."

"I'm sick of waiting! Get your ass out here and stop pampering yourself!" Ragna heard a groan come from Rachel as the water stopped. The door slowly crept open a bit but nobody walked out. Ragna questioned what he was up to, but something hit his foot and averted his gaze. "The hell," He raised a brow at it. "A frog? Whats a frog doing—OH SHIT!"

 **Ten minutes later...**

"I warned you," Kagura had his hands behind his head, eyes glued to a certain charred Reaper. "You just don't listen do you?" Ragna had his hair up like he stuck his finger in an electric socket and his usually pissed off expression had a certain intensity to it that scared the people around them. The former Black Knight shook his head; he knew something like this would happen, but he didn't listen. With Kagura's many years of experience dealing with women, he tried to save Ragna from his eventual demise. You never tell a woman to hurry up when they're getting ready, ever. Kagura learned that the hard way on one of his dates and from then on he always knew to keep his calm when women are readying themselves up. Guess charm skipped a generation with Ragna.

"Shut. Up."

"This look suits you, Ragna," Kokonoe teased. "Now you look like your poster. You did say they got you all wrong."

"That's a low blow..."

"Enough, we all know how much of a horrendous man Ragna is, let us get back to what really matters and ignore this disgusting worm."

"Damn you, Rabbit, I'm gonna kick you ass...!"

"Oh? I would very much like to see you try."

"I've had enough of you! Just stay there... I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Hold your horses," Kokonoe pulled his collar to keep him in his seat. "We still gotta hear out, Kagura. So get to it. I didn't wake up at the ass crack of dawn for this. By the way, you went out to check for our ship last night right? Does this have anything to do with it?"

"Yeah, about our ship," Kagura cleared his throat. "Yeah, we're fucked. It ain't going anywhere."

"What." The three said in unison, their eyes staring blankly at Kagura.

"It's messed up beyond repair, but," Kagura put his hand out to stop them from asking questions. "After talking with the head of the guild..."

"She was a bitch," Kokonoe spat. "Never gave me a chance to speak. Dunno how you were able...to hold...a conversation...with—are you kidding me?" The beastkin shook her head and rubbed her temples. Might as well she not have gone in the first damn place. Kokonoe realized what she just said. It was a 'she'.

"After our chat, we struck a deal," Kagura took out a wanted poster, the reward being five hundred platinum dollars. Might not be a lot, but it could get them a room and food, so it worked out in the end. Not like they could argue since they were flat broke. "We capture this guy, not only do we get the reward money, but also a free ship."

"Just what in the hell did you do to her that she gave you that?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Good point."

"So do we know where this guy is?" Ragna asked.

"Supposedly, he's hiding out in a small cave just off the next town. All we do is track 'em down, kill him, get the money and go. Not too hard right?"

"It makes things simple," Rachel placed two fingers on her chin. "Almost a bit too simple... I believe we should remain on guard."

"That makes both of us," Kagura stuffed the poster back in his pocket. "The NOL isn't stupid. Sure they need an art class,"

"Tell me about it," Ragna interjected.

"But I'm guessing they know we're here. That's why we should do this now and leave as soon as possible. At least by tomorrow morning. From here, we depart to Yabiko. We should get there in less than four days, that's if we don't run into any trouble on the way. We need to get to Yabiko no matter what, we need to get information from a reliable source. If not, we're just running around with our heads up our asses."

"So Yabiko is our first destination. Why do you need to travel there specifically? Do you still have allies who rebelled with you there?"

"I've got one and that's all I need. He's a 'special' case."

"And a pain in my ass," Kokonoe interjected. "He's a smart little shit, but he knows what he's doing. That guy is wasted on this pervert."

"So we gotta plan now let's get our asses moving." Ragna stood up, Kagura, Kokonoe, and Rachel following suit as the group walked out the Inn and out of town. They walked up the large snowy path for roughly thirty minutes before reaching their destination, the gate to enter the city before them. Kagura pushed it open as they found themselves in a lifeless town, no kids running around and playing like in the town before and the shops all closed. A few people sat in front of their homes, giving the new blood a few dirty looks. They didn't care about them and simply ignored them, heading to the gate northeast of them to reach the cave designated on their given map. Before they reached the gate, a little girl no older than six ran over to them, a brown bag in hand and fluffy white jacket worn.

"Excuse me," she spoke in a shrill tone, her amber eyes staring innocently up at them. "Are you guys going to go to the cave past this gate?"

"How did you know that?" Kokonoe asked.

"Well, you guys looked strong so I came to tell you a super mean monster is hiding there. He said that he would eat everyone if we said anything, but if you're going to the cave," she fished a few apples from the bag and handed it to them with a smile. "Here! My mommy always told me to eat healthy!"

"That's sweet," Kagura took them from her and patted her on the head. "We're gonna go take care of it, so go back to your family now, ok?"

"Ok!" The small girl jumped on him and gave him the tightest hug her little arms could give. "Thank you, mister!" She let him go and ran off, waving to them as she ran.

"Cute kid." Kagura smiled at the apples, an old memory coming to him.

 _Here you go, master! I picked some really good ones!_

 _Good job, Kagura. They're nice and fresh too! I was getting a little hungry._

'...That's the only thing he ever ate...' "Nice and fresh off the tree..."

"Yo, Kagura," The former rebel jumped from a gruff voice chasing him from his thoughts, his head turning to Ragna. "Whats with you? Didn't get enough sleep last night?"

"Maybe," Kagura sighed. "Anyway, you guys gonna take any? It'd be a waste not to eat these?"

"Nourishment is key, that child has sensible parents." Rachel took one and bit it.

"Well not like I ate this morning so down the hatch." Kokonoe took one and dug into it like a cannibal.

"Might as well..." Ragna took the last one and bit into it.

"?" Kagura couldn't help but hear a displeased groan come from the Grim Reaper, his interest being peaked when his face saddened. "What happened? Apple doesn't taste good?"

"Something like that." Ragna started to walk again, finishing his apple and tossing it.

"What happened to him?" Kokonoe asked with a furrowed brow, still chomping on her apple.

"No idea." Kagura finished his and tossed it, walking after Ragna as Kokonoe and Rachel did the same. Ragna heard them coming up behind him, but he didn't bother even looking back at them. The criminal stuffed his hands into his pockets and dropped his head, his gaze glued to the ground. Several times he was asked what was wrong and gave an "I'm fine" as a response or sometimes just flat out ignored them. Didn't matter anyway, not like they would understand.

 _Blood... No matter what...it's always the same._

Ragna mulled over the distinct taste of the apple; while sweet to others, it had no taste to him. Not like he was surprised. Years locked away in that prison, Ragna lost many things; hope, happiness... But there was one thing he lost he never thought he would...

 _All I taste is blood..._

 **That brings this chapter to an end. After pointers from apprentice trashman, I threw around idea after idea and stuck with this. Thanks for your thoughts apprentice trashman, good to get some thoughts from another author. I ain't gonna be talkin' long. Not sure which story I'm gonna post next. Most likely Infinite possibilities since I'm almost done with it.**

 **Next Chapter 6: The will of Rebellion**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6: The will of Rebellion**

Ragna, Kagura, Kokonoe, and Rachel arrived at the cave entrance, already catching a whiff of blood and a chill that wasn't caused by the frigid temperature. Making their way in, they find themselves surrounded by ice, their images reflected all around. The ice glimmered like diamonds and was a true sight to behold; though the raw acrid air ruined its glamor.

The festering scent of iron permeated the air accompanied by the putrid odor of decaying flesh made their expressions twist in disgust. Red splat all over the cold floor, dismembered body parts scattered their pathways, entrails like snakes stretched across the ground. Dead Librarian soldiers and even some townspeople littered the floor, some with deep gashes and lacerations that made their organs visible, others with awful bites taken out of them, bones protruding from their bodies. A crack that resembled that of a breaking branch came from underneath Rachel's shoes, the vampire looking to see it was a bone.

"My word, someone does not know how to keep their home clean. How revolting." Rachel scoffed. A few creatures made their homes in these decomposed bodies, eating the rotten flesh. Not only was this uncomfortable, but this eerie feeling that they were being watched kept her on edge, the same feeling shared throughout the group. This place was too quiet. Even when they arrived they could feel the malevolence that engulfed the cave, yet nothing has happened yet. Kokonoe grumbled and groaned to herself in impatience. Her eyes scanned her surroundings to see nothing but ice, blood, and the occasional carcass. Suddenly the half breed came to a halt, her sensitive nose picking up on something rather strange. The odd smell caused her eyes to narrow into suspicious slits.

"Tar?"

"Tar?" Kagura echoed. "What do you mean? Where'd that come from?"

"I smell tar, ok," Kokonoe didn't feel like explaining and walked off, leading the group to where her nose told her to go. The more they walked, the more they smelled the same thing Kokonoe did. Coming to another area in the cave, they find ponds of tar on both sides, several soldiers floating within, long since deceased. "So this is what I was smelling... I knew that town was weird. But to think it was like this..."

"What are you muttering?" Ragna asked.

"The town we just left, it didn't seem off to you?"

"Well, kind of. But what about it?" Kagura furrowed a brow.

"I think you all—save Ragna—know how tar is made right?" Kokonoe's remark earned a growl from the Reaper, but she chose to ignore him. "Tar is nothing more than a liquid made of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials. It can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat."

"Ok, so mind skipping the lesson and get to the point?" Ragna interjected. "So tar is made from all this shit, so what?"

"So _what_ is it doing here?" Kokonoe asked Ragna, a bit irritated by his interruption. "And why so much of it? What's the point? This town is small with only about fifty residences give or take, so they wouldn't need to burn so many trees and coal."

"You think the townspeople are up to something?" Kagura asked.

"It is possible. No wonder there were so many NOL officers here. And that must be why the shipping guild of all things has a request up to be rid of the daemon here." Rachel glared at the pool of tar. "If that is the case, we have been played for fools. We are no better than those trash collectors."

"Ok, I'm lost, so can you explain?"

"For the love of—!" Kokonoe felt like she was ready to have an aneurysm from Ragna and his stupidity. It took all her self-control not to smack him right upside the head. Taking a few short breath to calm herself down, she began. "Do you know what flamestone is?"

"Flamestone? Yeah, of course, I know what that is. Weren't those things outlawed though?" Ragna was well aware of what flamestone was. They were highly flammable stones and very easily made. It required a simple fusion of several different materials using a basic transmutation circle similar to alchemy. Even children nowadays can do something so basic without proper training since ars magus synchronization is more than what it used to be. Mix that with a little oil and sulfur and you got yourself a bomb.

"Yep," Kagura folded his arms. "Today, flamestone is wildly known for terrorist attacks and several serious and even legendary crimes; like the Yabiko port bombing. Because of that, shipment between Yabiko and other cities ceased for days. That's the reason for the fortress that keeps Ohkoto, where the main NOL base is, protected from attacks like that."

"Do you know what flamestone is mostly comprised of?" Kokonoe asked.

"Yeah, its—" Ragna paused for a moment and looked at the pools of tar. "Coal tar… They're highly flammable. Without it, flamestone can't be made…"

"That's right and it's not like gathering the other ingredients to make that shit go off is difficult. That's why these things are so damn dangerous. Heh," Kokonoe stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Looks like we just walked into unmarked territory. I'm guessing that there are pipes connecting the production center and here, that's where the tar is coming from. What a pain in the ass..."

"Then the production center is inside the village." Ragna surmised.

"That may not be the case. It could be somewhere outside of the village, given the massive forests within the Akitsu region," Rachel said. "Because of the Black Beast, the amount of seithr that exists in this world has increased and it affects many of the worlds natural cycle; such as Akitsu. It can never stop snowing because not only was the weather control machine that linked to the cauldron was destroyed, but the cauldron itself is unstable, exerting massive amounts of seithr, interrupting the change in seasons."

"But what's that gotta do with this damn tar?"

"Kokonoe just said how tar is made right? After the Dark War, seithr became more abundant and spread around the world at an alarming pace. It caused the cycle of life to drastically flip here. Trees normally die in this kind of weather, but more have been sprouting up due to them adapting at a rapid and unnatural pace. Count that and the coal mines spread around here and this place is a nesting ground for the criminal underworld to make some real money. I guess they just wanted a piece of the action."

"The NOL came to investigate and was met with a daemon. Now the people want the tar, but can't get there hands on it due to the deamon taking residents here."

"The guild seemed very antsy about it. The moment I said we'd do it they were all jumpy and ready to listen, especially the head." Kagura let that last bit run off his tongue, earning a groan from Ragna and Kokonoe.

"With their haste, I suspect that the daemon was a former member and co-conspirator in all this. So in other words..."

"We just signed a deal with a shadow guild," Ragna clicked his teeth. "Shifty bastards. Ain't nothin' good gonna come from this shit." This didn't sit well with the Reaper or his allies. Honestly, he couldn't care less if the shipping guild wanted to deal these flamestones; wasn't his problem. But to be used, now that's an issue. Perhaps they could just leave and go back to the port town, but that wouldn't do anything. It would just leave them shipless and broke. All they could do now was roll with the punches and take care of this daemon.

"I believe a case like this was brought within the NOL at a point. The rather odd distributions of goods turned a few heads in the NOL. If memory serves the case was dropped due to the unnatural casualty rate." Rachel said.

"Yeah, over a hundred soldiers were reported dead and or missing. This is one of those cases buried in the NOL archives, about three years ago to be exact. If this really is that same case, we're dealing with an S-rank daemon. Not many people in the NOL or anyone for that matter can take those things on. We need to be careful." Kokonoe warned.

"An S-rank daemon…" Ragna repeated to himself. Recalling a distant memory, he faced a B-rank daemon once before and barely managed to escape with his limbs intact, more importantly, his life. He may have gotten stronger since then, but the malevolence that surrounded this cave told him that this one was not one to underestimate or go lone wolf. There's no telling what this one could do. A B-rank is able to use the seithr around them, which gave humanity the idea of ars magus. Though barely anyone could use it then due to low synchronicity rates. Now, after the Sankishin arrived and the Master unit blessed humanity, it made humanity more attuned to seithr, raising their compatibility with it. With humanities attunement drastically increased, ars magus studies went further into development, birthing weapons such as the widely known nox nyctores. What makes an S-rank what it is, is that it retains the memories and skills it had prior and gains a greater affinity to seithr. Now with more seithr in the world, these S-rank daemons have become even deadlier.

"If this is true, then we must come up with a plan of attack. Those daemons might as well be the Black Beasts children with the power they possess."

"These bastards are drawn to places with high levels of seithr, most likely, given that, it is at the center of this cave. Without enough seithr, the beast will weaken," Kokonoe turned to Ragna. "What I want you to do is absorb the seithr. Kagura already told me about that right arm of yours, so don't play dumb."

"Did he now?" Ragna glared at Kagura from the corner of his eye.

"H-Hey, we're all working together now. I didn't think it would do any harm in telling her."

"Doesn't matter. Can you absorb it or not?" Kokonoe cut in. She wasn't in the mood to watch these two fight over something so ridiculous as this.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Ragna looked around. "The amount of seithr in here isn't that dense. But I can't fight and absorb the seithr, so there's the downside. You guys will be stuck fighting that monster. Not only that but its goons too."

"You've fought one before?" Kagura asked in astonishment, amazed he was still standing with his limbs attached.

"No. I fought a B-class before and it spawned a few. I thought I was gonna die," Ragna admitted, a low groan coming from Rachel only audible to her and her familiars. "But if that son of a bitch is stronger than what I faced, I don't think we should even go that far in. We should draw it out."

"How?"

"They're attracted to seithr. Shouldn't be that hard."

"You're insane," Kokonoe quickly caught his idea and shook her head. "That thing will chew you up and spit you out."

"Not like that," the shell on Ragna's right arm opened with a click as he held it up. "I'll forcefully draw seithr to this location. Once I do that, he won't resist coming to find a stronger source. Here, we can just jump him."

"So we use the Azure Grimoire as a beacon?" Rachel had to admit, it wasn't a bad plan. They would take its home field advantage and face him where he can no longer hide. To think Ragna of all people came up with it; was the end of the world coming or did he finally grow a brain? Either way, she had no qualms with his plan and nodded along with it. Talk now unnecessary, Ragna rose his right arm as seithr began to spiral into the shell, causing seithr around them to become thick and visible. The dark purple cloud circled them, the air becoming a bit cumbersome and hard to breathe. Suddenly their bodies pulsated from a dangerous presence, a drop of sweat trickling down their faces.

It was close...

They geared themselves for the enemy they were about to face. According to the poster, it's a behemoth at least five times taller than an ordinary man with sharp fangs. A sudden growl was heard through the dark pathway before them, two red eyes with a figure that didn't seem like what the poster described. What walked out was a man oozing seithr out from his pores, his eyes a devilish glowing red. His clothes were torn up, most likely due to his battles with the soldiers that came before. It may not have looked like a monster, but it sure as hell felt like one.

 **"Human..."** The voice that came from the man sounded as if it came from the very depths of hell. It didn't seem like he was completely clueless since he could speak, but he definitely wasn't here for idle chit chat or make merry.

"That's the daemon we were sent to kill." Kagura glared at the daemon, his natural instincts telling him to beware. A dark energy swirled around his right hand, forming a massive blade that was as tall as he was, maybe even taller.

"So he's the bastard..." Ragna ceased his grimoire and put a hand on his blade, ready to draw. Standing around and drawing in seithr is basically telling the guy to come rip him in half.

 **"Kill me? Sent? It was those bastards at the guild, RIGHT!?"** The man let out a sudden roar that pushed them back a few paces.

"Doesn't seem like he wants to talk!"

"Oh, what told you that!?"

 **"I'LL MAKE THEM PAY!"** The daemon let out an ear ripping roar that caused the icicles above to fall around them. Seithr erupted from underneath him, shadowing him within its darkness. Ragna, Kagura, Kokonoe, and Rachel took a step back, their instincts telling them to be careful. From their point of view, it seemed as if the daemon was going through some sort of transmutation, wings sprouting from its back and red lines crawling along his body and connecting. Once these red lines connected, they looked more like veins than anything else. With another roar, the geyser of seithr expanded, the force of the wind created by it threatened to send them all flying. They managed to hold their ground against the powerful force, the gale force winds forcing them to cover their eyes and shield their faces. All of a sudden the wind suddenly stopped and the daemon consumed by the darkness faded, revealing a new a demonic form.

It was no longer a simple man; the daemon had massive wings with red veins pulsating on his body, its hands and feet now claws and teeth now fangs. Seithr slowly oozed off him like steam, each time he breathed what seemed like vapor would puff from its mouth. Just its appearance was intimidating, but the power that welled within was even more frightening. Kagura had faced an S-class daemon in the Dark war once before; he lost his entire squadron and barely made it out alive. He could still remember the scene, the body of his comrade littering the floor, the blood of his friends smeared on his face and hands, his blade dripping in red. Some that blood was that of his friends turned daemon, his eyes glued onto them. Now he faced another and it was even stronger than the last. He had his doubts, but there was no running away.

Rachel had also faced down an S-class daemon once and it was a sight she would never forget. The daemon ate her allies, though she didn't really care for any at the time, the sight was unholy. It ripped through them like paper, devouring their innards and painting in the sticky gore. It was nothing more than a bite sized version of the Black Beast, but it was just as deadly. A drop of sweat trickled down her pale skin, her eyes glued on the daemon. Top this daemon off with her condition and Rachel knew she was at a heavy disadvantage.

 _My wound still hasn't healed yet..._

 **"When I'm finished with you and those bastards there won't be any corpses to bury!"** With a flap of his wings, he levitated over the ground for a moment before rushing them at blistering speeds, grabbing Ragna and Kagura by their faces and flying off. Before they could even blink, they were outside the cave and high in the air, their faces being held by the deamon. They tried to escape from his grasp but it proved futile as the daemon dove back down, slamming the two into the ground and flying back up. Kokonoe and Rachel appeared out of the cave and gasped when they saw Kagura and Ragna down. They looked up to see the daemon flying above them.

"D-Damn it..." Ragna wheezed. "I feel like every single bone in my body was broken..."

"Shit..." Kagura spat up blood and gasped. "Can't even move my arms."

 **"This day...has been kept for too long! I'll devour them ALL!"** With that declaration, the daemon took off in the direction of the small village. Ragna and Kagura worked through the pain and stood back up.

"We need to hurry," Kagura stabbed his blade into the ground for balanced and hunched over. "They're gonna die at this rate..."

"Shit...! We need to move!" Ragna rose up from the ground with all his strength, his body pleading for him to stay down, but he didn't listen. He heard a few cracks as he rose but didn't worry about them enough to check himself. They took off to the village, racing down the same snowy path they took to get to the cave. Blood-curdling screams resounded through the air, smoke clouding the snowy white sky with the scent of blood mixed in with the fiery fumes. With the town finally in view they see fire sprouting off the houses, people running and some already dead on the streets. The group saw the daemon in plain sight, creeping up on a cowering civilian.

 **"You... You're the one who ratted me out to the guild you son of a bitch... This happened because of you and everyone here!"**

"What are you talking about!? I don't—!" A blood-curdling scream erupted from the man once the daemon plunged its claws into his lower abdomen. Tears ran down the man's eyes as he begged for mercy but the daemon didn't listen. The beast opened its mouth, showing off his razor sharp fangs and bit down on his stomach, its canines pulling on his stomach and tearing away his flesh with savage bites and sickening splashes. His ear wrenching screams rang through the town while the monster devoured his innards, slurping them up like spaghetti. The man screamed for help, but it his screams were soon drowned out by a sickening bubbling gasp; then it suddenly stopped. He laid their lifeless with steams of tears running down his cheeks and a look of fear and anguish depicted on his features. A few townsfolk stood by watching, paralyzed by fear. The gut wrenching crunches accompanied by bloody splashes and throat ripping wails kept the citizens from moving or even screaming. Among the crowd was the girl that gave them the apples, a young woman, most likely her mother, covering her eyes. She had a slender build and a bit busty, her curves seen through the coat she wore with the same eye and hair color as the girl. Once the daemon finished eating the now lifeless man he turned his attention to them.

"Hey!" Kagura called out.

"Huh!?" The small girl looked passed the daemon and saw them, a bright smile coming onto her cheeks. "It's you! Mommy, those were the guys I was talking about!" The small girl jumped in joy.

 **"Huh!?"** The daemon turned to them and growled. **"You're trying to keep me away from them too!? Just leave me alone!"**

"Sorry, but there's a beautiful young lady and little girl there. I'd rather you not look at them for your early morning breakfast." The daemon rushed them once more, forcing them to dive out of the way. "Hey! Get her out of here, now!" Kagura told the mother.

"R-Right! Come now, Milia." The woman took her daughters hand and ran off. The daemon turned to them and was ready to give chase, but was blocked by Kagura.

"Sorry, those lovely ladies are off limits."

 **"Get out of my WAY!"** A gust of wind caused by his flapping wings blew them a few paces. Several dark magic circles appeared in around him, firing out rays of darkness that destroyed everything around them. Houses crumbled, some set on fire, rooftops falling onto running citizens with an ear wrenching splat.

"He's out of control!"

"I think it is best we shut him up. Nago! Gii!"

"We're right with you princess!"

"Now," Electricity danced playfully in Rachel's fingers. "It is time to teach this man some manners." Rachel let out a faint giggle and summoned down a bolt of electricity. The daemon raised its wings to block the bolt and reflected it back at them. Rachel and Kokonoe dodged while Ragna and Kagura bounced it off their blades with a hard swing. Not wanting to delay their confrontation any longer Ragna charged in, ready to get his revenge for their earlier encounter. Right now it was kill or be killed and Ragna wasn't a fan of the second one.

 **"Hells—!"** Ragna lunged at the beast with a seithr coated punch. The beast flew to the side to avoid the coming punch, readying an attack of his own to catch the vulnerable Reaper. Suddenly the platinum turned around and swung his arm up, a beastlike head comprised of seithr ramming into the daemon's chest. **"Fang!"** The beast went flying straight into the brick wall of a house, threatening to break right through with the massive crater it made on impact. Quickly dodging to the right to avoid a blade thrust from Kagura the daemon rushed Rachel. It was fast, but thanks to her wind, she managed to dodge him, but just barely. Its claws grazed her, tearing her top a bit. It launched a high kick but missed as Rachel ducked then leapt back to avoid a downward punch. Kokonoe came in and swung her hammer with precision and speed, forcing the daemon on his toes.

"Damn it, stay still!" Kokonoe planted her feet firmly on the ground and swung with all her might, slamming her drill hammer into the daemon's chest. She dug the hammer into it, thrusters erupting from behind the hammer to give her a bit more power. With a yell Kokonoe sent the beast spiraling into a house as it came crashing down on him. Not even ten seconds passed before it flew out from the rubble and took to the sky. It spread its wings as a dark purple aura surrounded it. Suddenly, dangerous levels of seithr gathered. From the seithr daemons rose, some were lizard men with an axe and buckler and some were wolfmen with a single brown chest plate. The seithr that spread soon contaminated the dead civilians, transforming them into daemons, about ten of them. Now they were outnumbered, not counting their target, they had at least twenty daemons to contend with.

"So, what's the plan? I don't think absorbing the seithr is going to do much."

"If we take out the head, the rest should fall," Rachel took in the enemies numbers with a few quick glances. "Kagura, I would like you and Ragna to handle that beast. Kokonoe and I will keep these vermin busy." 'Besides... I can not fight such an opponent like this...' The vampire held back a grunt as a sharp pain stabbed her right in the back. Kokonoe grumbled to the excruciating work she didn't want to do—but it was either that or she was daemon food; she took the latter. With drill hammer in hand, Kokonoe swung through a few daemons for her and Rachel to get by, the horde following the two girls away so they could leave Ragna and Kagura to deal with the real threat.

"Two on one and I've still got a bad feeling about this..." Ragna had to admit, this fight still seemed pretty close, but he couldn't help but be anxious. He wanted to give this bastard a taste of his own medicine after their last encounter. Kagura, on the other hand, didn't seem worried at all. Actually...he was smiling. Ragna had to wonder if he had a screw loose. Maybe that fall did a lot more damage than he thought it did.

"Well, we can't let those ladies down now can we?" Kagura smirked. "Haven't had a good fight in a while, so this should get me back in shape!" The daemon charged in to meet them half way, his claws surrounding in a dark energy. It slashed sideways, creating a wave of darkness shaped like a claw. The two dipped to the side just enough, the attack a hairs breath away from them. Ragna was the first to rush the daemon, going for a downward slash. Claws suddenly sprouted from the daemons arms, creating a sort of shield that parried his attack with a shriek, sending sparks flying from the friction. Before Ragna could follow up, the daemon kicked him right in the solar plexus, knocking the air out of him, stunning him for a moment. That single moment was just enough for the daemon to swing its razor sharp claws up and leave three bloody claw marks going up his body.

The daemon's instincts picked up on deadly intent as it weaved to the right, avoiding a massive black blade that shattered the ground where it once stood. It spun around and kicked the wielder right in the gut following up with a few dark rays that barraged him into a house. Before it could charge back after him, a fist met him right on the cheek, followed by an upward sword slash that left a large gash going crossway up its body. The daemon stared at the attacker with unrelenting malice. Once more it was ready to strike but was carried away by a purple wave of energy, sending it rippling through the town until it smashed into a house, causing the flaming building to crash down onto him.

It went deathly silent for a few seconds before a roar sent the rocks that buried the daemon flying. Ragna and Kagura slashed away at a few that came their way, having no choice but to guard against the rest. The moment their view was clear the deamon was already in front of them. It grabbed them both and threw them in opposite directions, quickly blasting them both with rays of darkness that sent Kagura into another house and Ragna up into the air, the Reaper coming down right onto a bench and broke it in half. Ragna struggled to get back up on his two feet. The moment he looked up he saw the daemon flying towards him. He quickly dodged to the right as the rampaging daemon flew into a house, coming out a second later to slam its shoulder into Ragna's back.

"Damn you...!" Ragna was sent rolling by the attack and quickly used his hands to jump back onto his feet. The daemon was coming back to him, his claws extending to deal the finishing blow. "I've had enough!" The criminal bellowed. His right arm slowly formed a claw of his own, red veins covering it with an eye in the middle. With a beastly roar from Ragna, he met the daemon head on and collided claws with him, sending a wave that ripped through the streets. The power struggle tore a few house around them but with another yell from Ragna, he swung his claw down, shattering the daemons claws, following up with an upward claw slash that left three huge claw marks on the daemon. Its blood was a dark, almost like the color of Ragna's arm. Ragna swung his sword with his other hand, his blade going deep enough to hit some of its vital organs, ripping it out with a blood crunching slash.

The daemon bellowed in pain. It hunched over and held its injury, a thick, syrup-like dark liquid poured out from its opened wound onto the ground like a waterfall. The Reaper went in to finish it but ended up being skewered as dark spears sprouted from the ground, throwing him up into the air. The Reaper came down with a hard thud, coughing up red with blood-curdling hacks. Thankfully it missed all his vital organs, but the amount of blood he was losing was dangerous. If he lost anymore he could die.

"S-Shit...!" 'The Azure Grimoire won't heal me fast enough...!' Ragna tried to get up but he didn't feel any strength in his limbs. Blood pulsed achingly in his throat before spurting out and running down from his mouth. "God...damn it...!"

"Ragna...!" Kagura limped his way out the house, falling to a knee as he held his side. Blood seeped through the cracks in his fingers from his wound, staining his white shirt crimson. The former rebel clenched his teeth and put pressure on his wound in an attempt to hold the bleeding. "Son of a...!" He winced and looked back at the daemon and what he saw stunned him. It was spiraled around the daemon as the large gash Ragna gave him closed, along with the other attacks they managed to land.

"N-No way..." Ragna gasped. "It...healed itself using the seithr!?"

"You've gotta be kidding...!" Kagura forced himself up. "I am not going down easy!" The black haired man rushed passed Ragna to engage the beast. He swung his sword down with all his might, bringing it to its knees. "You might've healed your wounds...! But you're still injured huh...?" Kagura sent a kick to where Ragna slashed at. The daemon roared on impact, the kick pushing him back a few paces. He wasn't letting up now and swung his blade in every direction, his attacks hitting each time. Kagura finished up with an upward slash that sent the beast into the sky. He took to the air and held his blade above his head as the massive sword began to glow a bright purple. **"The Dragon Lord's** **—!"** He swung down. **"Striking Fang!"** Kagura brought the daemon down to the ground, a massive geyser of a purple flame like aura sprouting from the earth and engulfing the two. The wave sent the downed Ragna a few paces back, the Reaper digging his fingers into the snow to keep himself in place. Once the smoke from the attack cleared, Kagura was seen standing over the daemon, panting hard. "Finally its—GAH!" Kagura spat up blood from something sharp piercing his gut. The shaking Black Knight looked down to see three claws had pierced his stomach.

"Kagura!"

"D-Damn it...!" The daemon yanked its claws out and grabbed Kagura by the neck. Now back on two feet, it hoisted Kagura into the air. It's hand constricted around his neck causing Kagura to slowly lose access to his oxygen supply.

"K-Kagura...!" Ragna tried to get up but fell down. His legs wouldn't listen and his arms couldn't even lift his sword. he cursed under his breath and tried to get up again, but his attempted ended in failure.

"Leave him alone!" Ragna heard a squeaky voice and turned to it. He gasped when he saw it was the same little girl that gave them the apples; she was heading straight for Kagura.

"No! Stay back, he'll kill you!" Now Ragna really needed to move. He managed to get back on his knees but fell back down in a bloody heap.

Kagura heard the girl and gasped when he saw her. "No...! Don't...!"

"Leave him alone you meanie!"

"No!" The mother came out and ran after her daughter. "Get back here!" She cried.

 **"Uooooh!"** The daemon swung its wing at the little girl. It collided with her and sent her spiraling in the air. The scene played out in slow motion to them all, their eyes widened to the flying girl. All that was heard was the small girl hitting the ground and the cries of the mother.

"NOOOOO!" The woman ran over to her child and kneeled to hold her in her arms. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

"You...son of a...!" Kagura gripped the daemons arm to try and get free.

 **"Kill...!"** The daemons claws extended with a click on its free hand. He aimed it at his heart, ready to end this. His hand thrusted forward, but he stopped before he could pierce his heart. What stopped him was the name the woman was crying out.

"Milia...! Please wake up..."

 **"Mil...ia..."** The daemon repeated. The unholy monsters head turned to the girl, its eyes stretching wide to the unconscious girl. **"No... No...!"** The voice of the beast quivered, its face filling with fear and anguish. Slowly the grip it had on Kagura eased as the man fell to the ground with a thud. **"What...have I done...!?"** The beast looked at its bloody palms. It began to hyperventilate, its palms shaking. A scream erupted from the daemon as it sank to its knees. The daemon screams were erratic, taking a few breaths in to scream again. They were all confused upon his sudden anxiety, the fear, and regret on the daemon's face.

"U-Ugh..."

"Milia!" The woman smiled joyfully at her daughters awakening. "Are you ok!? Please talk to me!"

"Mommy...?"

 **"!"** The daemon ceased its wailing once the girl's voice was heard. It looked up to see the little girl beginning to wake up. **"She's... She's ok... Oh...thank god..."**

"What...?" The woman's body jumped to the voice. "That's...!" She examined the daemon, its eyes resonating with her. "You couldn't be... Cale?"

 **"Marg...ret..."**

"That's impossible...!"

"Mommy? Who is that?" The small child asked her shocked mother. She got no response from her and turned back to the daemon her gaze was fixed on.

 **"Milia... Is...that her?"** The daemon asked and stood up. **"Do you remember me? Who I am...? Of course, you were...just a baby. I doubt you would know who I am."**

"It really is you..."

"What in the hell...is going on here?" Ragna grew confused as the conversation continued and also a bit irritated.

 **"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I didn't want to hurt her...to hurt you."**

"I thought you were killed... T-They said that deamons killed you. H-How are you...? Why are you...?" The woman got up and took a step with her child in hand. "Is it safe to come over to you?"

 **"I don't think so... Who knows if I'll rampage again."**

"Mommy, who is that?" The small child asked.

"It's...your father."

"Wha!?" Ragna gasped. "So this got complicated..."

"Hey!" A voice yelled. Ragna weakly turned his head to see an injured Kokonoe and Rachel coming towards. They weren't too bad, just a few scrapes and their clothes torn. The two stopped next to him and looked at the daemon, Kagura a step away and not doing too hot. "What happened!?"

"To be honest... I have no idea..." Ragna took a tired breath and stood back up. "I think it's better if you watch and see... Plus side is he ain't rampaging anymore. But..."

"But?" Rachel echoed.

"Just watch."

"I'm coming over there." The mother said with a determined glare. She let her daughter go and walked cautiously over to the daemon; her husband. The daemon took a few steps back but that didn't deter her. With each step, she drew closer, finally arriving before the daemon. She stared at the daemon for about a minute or so before her arms came around him and held the bloody former human.

"Mommy!" The girl cried out to her in fear.

"You're so warm... You're still so warm... I can never forget this. Ever," The woman turned to her daughter and motioned her to come over. The child was a bit hesitant, given she was sent flying by him a few seconds ago, but listened to her mother. She took cautious steps, swallowing a lump as she came closer. The mother lets go of him as he bent down to the child. "Milia... This is your father."

"What the hell? Just what happened over here?" Kokonoe asked in heavy confusion. "So you're saying that daemon is her dad? Oh, my day just keeps getting better and better."

"My dad...?" The girl known as Milia took a step back from him. "But he hurt me..."

 **"I'm so sorry honey... I didn't mean to. Please forgive me..."**

"You sound scary...and you look scary too."

 **"I know...** **"** He raised a hand to the girl's cheek that suffered the attack. **"Does it still hurt?"**

"...A little." She responded softly.

 **"Please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you. Can you forgive me? Even after what I've done to you?"**

"Are you really my daddy?"

 **"Yes."** The girl said nothing and just stared at him. Her head swung side to side in innocent confusion.

"But you look so scary... Is he really my daddy?" The girl asked her mother.

"Yes, I wouldn't mistake him for anyone."

"Then... Can I hug you?" Milia asked.

 **"Of course..."** The girl immediately jumped on him and held him as tight as her little arms could. Slowly his arms came around her, a smile coming across his demonic features.

"Mommy missed you... And I always wanted to meet you. You sounded so cool," The girl hugged him tighter. "I love you, daddy." The mother smiled and joined in on the group hug.

"Ugh... I'm not into this mushy mushy stuff..." Kokonoe growled. "Can't we get this over with and **—** "

Whack.

Kokonoe's head hung from the collision with the back of her head and his fist. "Shut up already..."

"Ah...! Damn it, what the hell was that for!?" Ragna gave her no answer. All his attention was focused on the scene before him and it seemed Rachel and Kagura were the same. Kokonoe couldn't believe this, not like she could do anything so she just watched.

"You were alive all this time...? I don't understand... Why didn't you come back?"

 **"I couldn't... They'd come after you and I couldn't let that happen..."**

"I warned you not to get mixed up with them, but you didn't listen..."

 **"Sorry. You were right. But I just couldn't sit here and do nothing... We had a child to feed and...this was the only way I could think of to get the money..."** The daemon shook his head. **"I messed up... I messed it all up and now...I'm nothing but a daemon."**

"Can this be reversed?" The mother asked.

 **"I don't think so... That's why..."** The former human released his family and looked to Ragna. **"I want you to kill me."  
**

"What!? No!" Milia cried.

"Cale!"

 **"There's no telling what I could do next... Please, do it before I hurt anyone else,"** the daemon looked into his palms. **"I can't live like this anymore... I don't deserve to live after what I've done. So please,"** the daemon looked back to Ragna. **"Put an end to me."**

"..." Ragna looked as his signature blade for a moment before turning back to the daemon. He said nothing as he started over to him, blade in hand, ready to deliver the final blow. The Reaper stopped in front of the former human and asked. "Is there anything you want to say to them?"

 **"Yes,"** the demon turned to his sniffling daughter. **"You've grown into such a beauty, Milia. You take after your mother you know..."**

"Daddy... Why do you have to go?"

 **"I did many horrible things... Do you want to see your daddy commit crimes?"** The girl merely shook her head as the man smiled. **"That's good. Now take care of your mother for me ok?"**

"Ok."

 **"Margret,"** he turned to his wife. **"Please, watch over her for me. I know I haven't been the best husband, but... Please, grant me this selfish wish."**

"Of course," the woman sniffled as tears began to run down her cheeks. "She's in good hands."

 **"I know."** The daemon turned back to Ragna and nodded. Ragna grabbed his sword with both hands and aimed the point for his heart. All that was heard next was the ear wrenching sound of his blade driven into the former human's heart, accompanied by the cries of the small girl. The daemon fell limp, seithr oozing from its body as it slowly turned back into his human form. He had messy dark colored hair, scars from battles previous and torn up clothes. Ragna took his sword out from the man and sheathed his blade with a click. He then turned to the weeping two and could only stare at them in pity at their loss. Not much else he could do now; it wasn't any of his business. The Reaper took a look around the devastated town and it was clear there was no way they could live here anymore.

"So, I guess we're done here." Ragna felt something tugging at his pants and turned to see it was the small sniffling girl. "What is it?"

"Thank you..."

"What?" Ragna gasped. Did he just hear that right?

"My daddy was in pain...and now he's not. Thank you for stopping my daddy's pain."

Ragna couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for it. This little girl just watched her father killed by some nobody, kinda like him. Though, she didn't hate him or despise him for it. For a girl her age, she was pretty tough. Even more unexpectedly she held her arms out to him for a hug. "S-Sorry kid... I'm not a huggy person so—"

Smack.

Ragna yelled in pain from a hard blow to the head dealt by Kagura. "Do you HAVE to be such an asshole all the time?"

"What the hell was that for!?" Kagura didn't answer and just pointed down. Ragna looked to where he was pointing to see the small child still waiting on Ragna. "If you say ANYTHING about this when we get back, you're dead. Hear me?" Ragna threatened with heavy embarrassment in his voice.

"I won't." Kagura chuckled.

Ragna groaned with a hard red and went down on a knee to be at the girl's height. The girl slowly came into him and held him with her small arms. He patted her back while the girl nuzzled herself in his arms. "You're warm... You feel like my daddy. Even though you're a big meanie." A vein popped up on his forehead, but he managed to hold his irritation back. This had to be the most embarrassing thing he has ever done in his entire life. He could hear Kagura chuckling behind him. That guy was gonna hold this over him for the rest of his life.

"Well," Kagura walked over to the child's mother. "There should be an NOL station just off here. You know where it is right?"

"Yes, we do. We have some relatives in Akitsu so we should be ok. Thank you..."

"No problem." Kagura winked.

"Um, kid... You gonna let me go now?" Ragna asked with a growl.

"I don't wanna! You feel so warm!" Milia smiled.

"Come on, sweetie," the mother walked over to her child and picked her up off Ragna. "These people need to go now. They're...busy. Am I right...?"

"...Yeah. Thanks."

"You knew?" Kokonoe asked.

"Well, the posters may be way off, but it isn't that hard. Don't worry," the mother smiled. "I won't tell anyone. I owe you much for what you did. So, please be careful, ok?"

"Be careful Mr. Grim Reaper! Mr. Kagura!" Milia waved to them and then to Rachel and Kokonoe. "Bye!" With that, the two started off out the village. The group watched as the two disappeared out of sight, chatter from the small girl still a bit audible to them for a bit before it ceased completely. Kagura's attention turned to the dead father lying in a pool of dark blood. All he could do at this point was pay a silent respect for the man. What he's done might've not been right, but he did it all for the sake of his family. That much he could respect.

"...Let's go."

"Right."

* * *

Night time darkened the skies above the port town. The street lights on and noise from the guild filled the streets. After they delivered the news on the daemons death and a few members checked, they shouted in joy and victory. Just watching them so happy made Ragna's blood boil and he wanted to knock all their asses out. Kagura held back the Reapers fury, but Ragna could see Kagura was just as, if not more, pissed off than he was. After getting their reward and a boat, the group now rested in the Inn to relax from their taxing day. Kokonoe immediately went back to bed, way too tired to even take shower, much to Rachel's dismay. The young vampire sighed at the beastkin's hygiene and went to take her bath. Thankfully nobody was inside so she didn't have to wait.

Rachel, now inside the bathroom, slowly undressed, mindful of her injury. While she took off her dress, she stopped midway as her thoughts ran back to the small child. It was unfortunate how it all went down, seeing her father killed in front of her isn't something anyone can cope with. Yet she managed to maintain the smile she had before, even though she was hurting inside. Rachel didn't really care much about them, though she couldn't say she wasn't sympathetic towards them. Both she and Ragna could relate to what that child must've been going through. Fake or no, to smile and laugh in such a situation showed a level of maturity. Hopefully, that child will not have to go through any more hardship. Rachel allowed a weak sigh pass through her lips while she dropped her dress and moved on to her top. She hissed at the tear caused from the daemon. The young woman took it off and gasped when she saw something was missing; something vital.

Her necklace was gone.

A look of shock depicted itself onto her pale features. She lost all strength in her legs and sank to her knees, a hand over her chest where the pendant once laid. Most likely, when that daemon attacked her, the necklace must've broken off. Now thinking about it, she did hear something like a chain snap. However, within the midst of battle, her brain never registered it. Her necklace was probably either destroyed or lost in the falling snow now, so going back to look for it would be meaningless.

"No... Anything, but that..." Rachel gnawed on her bottom lip until it bled, the small drops of crimson falling to the floor. "That was...the only thing I had of...!" Her hands curled up into balls of fury as her body started to shake. Steadily she calmed down and stood back up. The vampire made her way to the bath, filled it with water and sat within. The pain on her back didn't even register, it was nothing compared to what she felt right now. The necklace, even though it wouldn't be much to most people and she could always just buy another, it was everything to her; it was irreplaceable. Now it's gone... Her bangs covered her eyes as her head slowly hung. "And it was such a lovely present too..." A solemn smile formed on her lips as the memory of receiving the gift played in her head, the moment unforgettable. The embarrassment on his face, the warmth of his gift and his embrace. A single tear trailed down her cheek and dropped into the water, causing ripples to distort her reflection. "God only knows how much money you spent on it," her voice began to crack and her throat clenched. Tear she's been trying to desperately hold back, now flowed like streams down her reddened cheeks as she sniffled. "Forgive me, Ragna..."

* * *

Ragna stood outside, arms folded and back against the wall. His teeth ground together as he heard the guild partying, drinking, laughing and cheering to their heart's content. It didn't matter now anyway, what's done is done. The mother and daughter seemed ok with how it all went down and the father excepted it. That doesn't mean it didn't leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"Damn it..."

"What's up with you?" A voice came from beside him, the voice belonging to none other than Kagura.

"None of your business. Thought you were sleeping."

"I was," Kagura walked out the door. "But I just couldn't. Besides, I need to talk to you." He pointed to the exit of the town. "Mind stepping out for a few minutes?"

"This better not take long." Ragna pushed off the wall and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Kagura turned to the exit and started towards it with Ragna behind. The two walked a good ways away from the port city, not too far though that they still couldn't hear the voices of the guild partying it. "Ok, this is far enough," Ragna stopped in his tracks as Kagura stopped a few steps in front of him. "What is it?"

"I want your help."

"Oh yeah, that clears everything right up," Ragna said sarcastically.

"Then let me be clear," Kagura turned back to Ragna. "Help me take back the NOL."

"Hah. You're joking right?" Ragna deadpanned.

"No, not this time." Kagura's voice was a bit deeper than before. His sarcastic tone was gone; this was business and he wasn't fucking around. But that only made it more ridiculous.

"Why would you ask me? I don't give a shit about the NOL or this world."

"You're not the only one who's lost, Ragna…"

"..."

"You can try to hide behind bravado and arrogance all you want, but the person you used to be still exists. Nobody 'died' down there… You were given something. A chance to be a part of something bigger than what you are."

Once he said that Ragna lost his cool and grabbed Kagura by his shirt, his eyes widen with rage. "And for that, my family had to die!?" His burning village, Hakumens blank face, all of it came rushing back to him. The pain and suffering he had to endure, the pain of losing everyone he had ever loved. "I'm not here to save lives! I'm not some damn instant hero!"

"I never said you were…"

"So then what the hell do you want from me? Spit it out…"

"Help me take out Hakumen."

Ragna's body jumped from what the former Black Knight said; kill Hakumen? That was the last thing he expected to hear come out of Kagura's mouth. His grip eased as Kagura's shirt slipped through his fingers. "Why do you want to kill him? What your mad cause he locked you aw—?"

"He killed my master," Kagura cut him off, silencing him. "My master; Amanohokosaka Tenjo, was the previous Imperator but went missing during the rebellion… He was more than a master; he was a father." Visible anger appeared on the former rebels features, but he tried his best to hide it from his speech. "All of Wadatsumi fell… My home was lost to me… This happened fifteen years ago… Does that ring any bells?"

"The Advent…! That's when that bastard…!"

"That day… Tenjo was acting strange; said 'forgive me', then left and never returned. When I went to look for him; Hakumen stood before him, his blade drenched in blood and my master's body lied on the floor in a pool of blood. I was weak then," Kagura clenched his fists until they started to bleed. "I just stood there… And before I knew it… A seed of hatred planted itself deep within my heart. I wanted revenge and joined the NOL. It was the only chance I had at revenge. It's all I've ever wanted for over fifteen years… Fifteen years of rotting in my own private hell."

"..."

"So when I decided to rebel, it wasn't about the people; it was about me. To see that bastard dead at my feet. But," he unclenched his fists and chuckled. "I messed up… I ended up dragging innocent people into my own petty squabbles… And they paid for it with their lives. I got lucky. So now that I'm out, I've got a chance to make things right and help the people I've wronged or at least ease their pain…"

"You blame yourself? Why the hell would you blame yourself? They signed up."

"I blame myself for allowing them… Can you bare the deaths of thousands, Ragna? Hearing them curse your name in your dreams? They had dreams too...and I took that away from them."

"Me?" An image of Ragna when he was smaller standing in front of a mangled daemons corpse came to mind, his hand drenched in blood and his expression vacant; his eyes had no gleam, their desolate glare staring at the body before him. The men, women, and children he's slaughtered. He knew how heavy a burden that was and he's slaughtered, countless innocent people. "I've killed my fair share of people," Ragna clenched his right arm. "Or does 'Grim Reaper' not ring a bell to you?"

"It does, but that doesn't matter. I don't see a 'Grim Reaper' anywhere. All I see… Is a friend."

Ragna gasped a bit at his words as he turned to him and asked in disbelief. "Are you...high or somethin'?"

"To think of the 'Grim Reaper' as a friend? Maybe I am…" Kagura closed his eyes and said. "Men, women, children, friends, family… I fight not for my own selfish desires, but for the happiness of others. So… I ask you… Walk beside—no," He put his hand out for Ragna to shake as he finished. "Walk with me… Ragna the Bloodedge."

Ragna stood there, baffled at his words. Was this for real? He hasn't even known the guy for over a week and yet he thinks they're friends? Was this guy on cloud nine? "Do you have any idea what you're saying right now...?"

"I think I do…"

"And what if I don't want to take your hand? I'm not some warrior of justice… Just some piece of trash out for bloodthirsty vengeance." Ragna turned away from him and sighed. "I think you should look somewhere else for a new recruit… I don't think I got it in me to do that. I'm not some savior or reformer. Just some wanted criminal."

"Stop being so damn stubborn. See, this is the part where you shake my hand and say 'yes Kagura, I'm in' or something like that." Kagura joked, but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice. Every word he said came from the heart. "You've got a brother, right? Is he important enough to fight for?"

"!"

"Man is he a pain," Kagura sighed. "Major Jin Kisaragi... Never laughed at my jokes and very damn hostile towards everyone. Guys ice cold..."

"Yeah… Never really liked talking to others. I was all he had back in the days. It was annoying sometimes, but..." Ragna couldn't help but miss the days Jin would run up to him to play. Back then it annoyed him since he never got time to himself, but now, it was all he had to remind him of the good times. Now, his own brother is his enemy.

"We've all got our own problems and I'm not telling you how to live your life. Right now, all you're doing is letting vengeance guide you and trust me, you don't get far. Don't let revenge be your compass, be your own compass. I'm not saying give up on it, but don't let it drive you to be someone you're not."

"You don't know me. Stop acting so damn high and mighty. I do things my way and I'm not letting you tell me how to live my life. It's none of your business," Ragna gave him his back once more. "It's the path I've chosen and intend to see my revenge to the end. To the very end."

Smack.

Ragna hunched over after a hand slapped the back of his head. "You really are stuck in your own little world aren't you?"

"Why you little...!"

"When I look at you, it's like I'm looking at my past self," Ragna was ready to punch him until now. He bit back his fury to the sound of his voice, it was almost sad. Not like he really gave a shit if he was happy or sad, but this seemed different. "I was a reckless idiot. I was ready to wage war and I...put an idiot into a war that wasn't hers. Now she's paying for it." Ragna knew this idiot was. He couldn't argue with him there; she really is an idiot.

"So what you feel bad?"

"I should've said no, but instead I said yes. I'm gonna have to live with that and the shame. I don't want you living a life of regret."

"I already am..." Ragna stuffed his hands in his pocket. "My dad asked me to protect my brother... I couldn't do it. Now he doesn't know me, we're nothing but strangers. I'm still trying to come to terms with that. If you want someone, you're barking up the wrong tree, Kagura. I'm here for revenge, that's all."

"But he's alive."

"I know and that's good enough for me. I can't face him how I am now. Some lowly criminal out for blood. What kind of older brother am I?"

"A pretty damn selfish one," Kagura let out a faint chuckle. "I won't force you. I made that mistake once already," he sighed. "You've got the right to live and choose. Remember that well, Ragna. Next thing you know, you might have to make that decision. Will you live for 'you'? Or will you let someone control you?"

"Nobody's gonna control me."

"Seems like it to me, but," Ragna felt Kagura's presence change. There was no more need for words at this point; they were now passed that. The time for idle chit-chat was finished. "There are better ways than talking. When all else fails, this is how men settle things," Kagura's blade appeared in his hand. "Wouldn't you agree? Ragna the Bloodedge. Now," his blade rose, now pointing at the Reaper. "Draw."

"Guess there is only one way," Ragna slowly took his blade from his waist, giving Kagura a glare that matched his. "And I find this better than talking. Gets people like us nowhere."

"Agreed. Now come."

 **Special thanks again to Apprentice Trashman for helping me with a few ideas, really appreciate it. The conversation with Ragna and Kagura might sound a little redundant, but there's really no way to change that since that redudnacy... Next story to be updated will be Infinite Possibilities, so I'll see you all when that time comes. Hope you enjoyed this. Tell me what you thought and I'll see ya later!**

 **Next Chapter 7: Battle to escape**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: Battle to escape**

"God...damn it...! Are you even human?"

"No... You forgot?"

"Oh, yeah... Smartass..."

Ragna and Kagura, exhausted, laid reflected to each other, splayed on the ground. Sunken into the white blanket of snow with injuries covering them head to toe from their earlier battle. Pale clouds escaped from their mouths against the numbing air, chests heaving with each deep breath, blades laid in their limp hands beside them. Ragna's mismatched eyes gazed aimlessly into the cloudy sky. Snow alighted on his face, landing just as soft as the kisses his mother used to give him and just as cold as the memories had turned. Ragna closed his eyes and called breathlessly to the worn rebel that laid reflected to him.

"Hey, Kagura..."

"Yeah...? What is it?" Kagura answered, just as breathless as Ragna.

"You said you're doing this for the people you've wronged, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Where do you find meaning in that sense of justice?" Ragna had grown curious during their battle. More than clashing blades, Kagura had tried to reach his hand out to him. Not that he needed it, but that really wasn't the issue. Why in the hell would he give a shit about some guy he just met a little over a week ago?

"Justice, huh?" Kagura held back a chuckle. "It ain't justice... Nothing, but redemption. I want to show the people that there are those willing to help others. Not for selfish gains, but just because. They've labeled an idiot like you as a criminal... Even though the guys runnin' the NOL aren't exactly the most squeaky clean people on Midgand. Nothing but blood on their hands, same as us." The rebel closed his eyes and exhaled, recalling something his former master told him. "'Do what you believe is right.' That's...all there really is to it. Like I said earlier, I ain't got the right to tell you what to do or what not to do. That's on you... Just make sure you ain't got any regrets after this. You're still young after all."

"I'll...keep that in mind," Ragna revealed his emerald-ruby eyes to the sky. With a painful grunt, Ragna got back on his feet, latching his blade on his waist with a click. Kagura followed suit, standing back up as his blade dispersed into a black flame.

"By the way," Kagura face Ragna with a curious brow raised. "It's something I've been meaning to ask for a while now."

"What?"

"Do you by any chance have—?"

"...gura! Mr. Grim Reaper!" In the distance, the two picked up on a familiar, innocent, sobbing voice accompanied by approaching footsteps. Whoever they were, they were pretty quick on their feet. For as soon as they turned to face the caller a quick figure ran into Kagura's legs. Looking down, Kagura was met with shimmering, tear-filled, hazel eyes pleading for help; it was Milia. Her nose red, face blotched and cheeks swollen from crying. "Please help me!"

"Help!? What's going on!?" Kagura knelt down to the balling child as she quickly held him, small arms crossed around his neck as tight as they could. The rebel rubbed the crying child's back to comfort her, confused, right along with Ragna.

"M-My m-m-mommy...! They...! T-They...!"

"Calm down..." Kagura rubbed the crying child's back to comfort her, confused, right along with Ragna. Steadily, her balling lowered to sniffles as Kagura asked again, a little worried about her and the whereabouts of her missing mother. "What happened? Where's your mother?" Like adding fuel to the flame, her crying picked up once more.

"Mommy...! They...!"

* * *

 **-One hour ago-**

Milia cuddled with her mother in a hut, shivering in fear along with several others the small child could not identify. A few hours ago, she had arrived with her mother, in hopes of obtaining safe transport to Akitsu; however, those hopes were dashed away. Instead, they were treated like criminals, held in what seemed to be a concentration camp of sorts. The only saving grace the small child had was her mothers warm, loving arms that never let go of her.

"Mommy... I want to leave..." She whimpered, fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her mother's coat. Tears seeped through her clenched eyelids, squeezing through like a sponge.

"Don't cry," her mother placed a hand on her head, stroking her soft hair with a loving smile. "There's nothing to fear. Mommy's here to protect you."

Too scared to speak, Milia could only nod as she pushed her head into her mother's bosom. Several times she'd told Milia those very same words, but she couldn't help herself. Fear spoke to her all throughout the night. Its crackling voice commanding her legs to grow weak, her tears to continue flowing, her body to go cold, and her hopes to be dashed. She wanted to run, hide, or cry, either one would do. But there was no safer place than the arms of her mother. Soft hands took her small, sweaty hands and rubbed them. Milia desperately tried to hide her fear. She could control the tremor of her voice and body to a certain extent. Smiling to ease her mother even if it looked plastered on. However, the perspiration could not be controlled. Even with frigid winds relentlessly storming through the non-existent windows, her skin glistened. Pores exuding a palpable amount of sweat. Not once did she not feel a dampness under her armpits.

The mother, Margret, observed the fear cemented on her daughter's delicate face. Such an innocent child with so much terror, it made her heart sink. "Milia, would you like me to tell you a story? How about a new one? I was saving it until your next birthday, but I guess I can give it to you early."

"But you don't have the book..." Milia sniffled.

"Don't worry. I have it memorized." Margret adjusted the small child on her lap, sitting up so her head could rest on her clavicle. "This is the story about a single book and a young girl." She started, smiling once she observed the worry on her daughter's lips fade a smidge. Margret held her daughter as tight as she could, resting her chin against her smaller head, rocking along with her. "Long ago, a book containing the essence of the world itself was given to a simple young girl. This young girl longed for a hero; one who would sweep her off her feet and save her from evil. However, a curse was placed upon this book; it already had an end."

"How is that a curse?" Milia asked, tilting her head in innocent confusion.

"It means the girl could never write the ending she desired," Margret told her. "Caring little about the predestined ending, the small girl began to write a story, spanning hundreds of pages."

"What did she write?"

"She wrote herself as the heroine, desiring for a hero to save her from a vicious monster. The hero would appear before the maiden and slay the monster that terrorized the world, saving it from utter destruction. Bringing happiness to all."

"Amazing~! Oh! What happened to the little girl!?"

"...The little girl was never saved." Margret sighed as her daughters hazel eyes magnified.

"Why...? Didn't the hero defeat the monster? Why was the little girl never saved?"

"It was because the little girl...was the monster herself." The young woman said as Milia stayed silent, too surprised to speak. "Again and again, the little girl rewrote the book until it grew tattered and worn. However, no matter how many times she re-wrote the book, the ending would always remain the same. She pleaded for the hero to save her. 'Please save me!' she begged. Yet, time and time again, the hero ignored the heroine. He would only defeat the monster and claim the fame in being the hero. Soon...the girl fell into despair. Crying tears of blood as she prayed for the hero to save her, but the hero wouldn't listen. To this day...she still prays for the hero. Even now, she probably still believes the hero will save her."

"Mommy... I don't think...I liked the story. It's...a little scary. I feel bad for the little girl. I hope, one day, the hero will save her. Just like in all the other storybooks!"

"We can only hope..." Silence hung suspended in the air, like the breathtaking moment before a glass shatters on the floor. Suddenly, the door flew opened with a loud boom, startling the residences of the hut and breaking the silence. Milia and Margret found a lone soldier before the doorway, a cream jacket and pants matching his hat and boots, a blade sheathed at his side.

"All of you get up! Meet in the center of the camp." He ordered as they all stood up and followed him, finding everyone else already cleared out of their huts, sitting before a squadron of soldiers. Milia quickly grabbed her mother's hand as the two sat in the back. Small chatter took the rather large group until the same soldier that ordered Milia and her mother from their hut spoke up. "Silence!" Commanding, firm, and terrifying, all sounds went mute. Even the wind stilled from the cumbersome tension that laid in his dark colored eyes. "I am Captain Kozu of the Zero Squadron! I'm sure you are all wondering why it is you have been forced here. Wait no longer, as I am here to tell you of your crimes, though, I'm sure you are all already aware of your crimes." The Captain was met with silence, so he continued. "Therefore, we are here to administer punishment. For daring to disobey the NOL, we sentence you all to death!"

"Wha!?"

"No way!"

"Death!? You can't do this!" A man stood up and grabbed the Captains collar. "Who the hell gives you the right to just issue like that you son of a bitch!?"

"Who? Simple," a sinister smirk curled onto his lips as his voice filled with venom. "Me."

"Wha—!?" The Captain's blade pierced the man's stomach as crimson spurt out his mouth. Without remorse, the Captain yanked his sword from the man's gut as he fell to the ground. White powder damped in crimson as the shivering man's body went still. Milia's eyes magnified in horror as tears protruded at the corners of her eyes. Before she screamed, Margret's hand quickly covered hers as another screamed in her place. Another tried to run but was swiftly put down by a well-placed bullet in her head. Immediately, the squadron turned their guns on the group and opened fire, massacring them with endless bullet fire. Splats of red flew through the night along with the helpless screams of anguish and the roars of bullet. Parent protecting their children, only for them to be shot along with them.

Not wanting the same to happen to her daughter, Margret snatched the crying child up in her arms and took off, closing her eyes as she could hear all those people crying out for help. An abrupt pain lanced her calve as the running woman fell down, quickly turning so she fall on her back.

"Mommy!" Milia quickly got off her and gasped when she saw red leaking from her calf. Blood stained her tights, radiating outwards, damping white a dark crimson.

"I...can't move...!" The young grunted painfully. Margret managed to pick her head up just enough to see the soldiers gunning down the leftover residents. This was nothing more than a stray bullet and they hadn't noticed so there was still a chance. "Milia, go!"

"What!? No, I'll carry you!" Desperately, Milia went to her mother's side and tried her best to lift her up, only for her small arms to immediately drop her.

"No! You need to hurry before—!"

 _"Hey! There's more!"_

Marget gasped as she saw the soldiers coming over to them. Frantically, she turned on her side and fought her way up. 'If I can buy just a minute!' "Go, Milia!"

"No!" The small child quickly hugged her legs. "I won't leave!"

"Don't worry," Margret knelt down to her and gave her a gentle peck on her forehead, smiling. "I'll follow you once I see you've seen you a good distance away. Mommy will be right behind you."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Margret curled her pinky as Milia quickly replicated the action, shaking pinkies with her before taking off. Before she got to the exit, she heard a loud bang followed by her mother's scream. She stopped and whipped around, gasping wide-eyed when she found her mother on the ground with several barrels pointed at her. Clenching her small fists, the small child ran off into the cover of night, tears flowing like rapids down her cheeks. Running as fast as her little legs could take her.

 _"Stop it! NO!"_

 _"Damn bitch! You just won't stay still, will you!? Hold her down!"_

Screams of her mother roared through the night before, finally, coming to an end with a lingering bang.

* * *

Kagura and Ragna, wide-eyed and thrown for a loop, could only stare at the crying child. Men dressed in all white; no doubt about it—the Zero Squadron. Kagura's hand stroked her short, brown hair as she cried into his neck.

 _"She went this way!"_

Milia's body froze instantaneously upon hearing the distant voice. That was the man... He was the one that killed her.

Ragna quickly unslung the blade sheathed on his waist, on guard for the coming enemy. Figures ran out from the veil of the winter winds, about ten in total in cream uniforms. Milia's eyes stretched at their corners once scared, hazel eyes met the row of men.

"Damn brat," Captain Kozu bit. "Did you think you could get away!? Hm?" The Captain's eyes scanned the two new occupants as his lips curled into a smile. "To find you two here... What luck; Kagura Mutsuki, former heir to the head of the Mutsuki family and the Grim Reaper."

"That's the people!" Milia pointed to the Captain and his squad. "They killed my mommy!"

"Your mommy? Oh, you mean that slut." The Captain looked over his shoulder into the direction they just ran from. "Whinny little bitch, but she did her job. Tight little whore..."

"You...!" Ragna, ready to charge in and slaughter the men before him, was halted by Kagura's coming footsteps. The man said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.

"Mr. Kagu—!" Milia tried to run after him but stopped once Ragna stepped before her.

"Kid... Close your eyes and cover your ears."

"But!"

"Just do it."

Kagura halted his advance and opened his hand as if holding a sword. Dark purple flames gathered like a vacuum within his palm and immediately extended outwards, forming his massive blade; however, looking at the sword now, Ragna couldn't help but get an ominous vibe from the large blade. Violet eyes barely visible from the bangs that covered them, what was seen behind the veil caused the entire squadron to take a step back. Ragna watched Kagura in his new form. Nothing but malice came from him, unrelenting rage. He had only caught a glimpse, but the eyes the rebel wielded were not the same ones he wore only moments ago. They were narrowed, rigid, and as cold as the snow that pelted his face. Piercing violet morphed into a callous black, his iris glowered and dilated. The man was absolutely livid.

The rebel put a foot forward causing the squadron to wobble back as if the entire earth quivered. Captain Kozu grabbed the hilt of his blade ready to draw along with his team, only for them to watch in horror as their captain's head went flying off into the air. Blood spewed from his neck like a geyser bringing forth crimson rain. The headless captain's arms went limp before he fell forward, spewing scarlet, staining the pure white snow rose. Once his body fell over, Kagura's cold eyes were revealed to the squadron, dark blade drenched in blood. The men, frozen with fear, could only stare at their executioner. One brave soul made a valiant charge, only for his upper body to go flying into a nearby tree with enough force to make him look nothing more than a splat bug on a window.

Kagura eyes steadily moved from dismembered soldier to the rest of his colleagues. Driven by fury and silent rage, the rebel charged into the quivering ranks, mowing them down like cannon fodder. Body parts flung in his face, hands and heads flying by like the flakes that descended from above. Blood-curdling screams accompanied by bloody splashes, breaking branches, wrenching ligaments and the ear-wrenching tear of sinew. Milia shut both ears and eyes tight, but could do little to protect herself from the awful sounds. Ragna did his best to assist the trembling girl, but he knew it wouldn't do much.

At the end, an ear-ringing silence stained the air as a single soldier remained. Far too scared to stand his trembling legs finally gave up on him as he hopelessly fell to his knees. Magnified orbs quivered as he watched the swordsman stalk towards him, dark blade dripping with the blood of his allies and smears of red on his face. Despondent chocolate eyes gazed into hard, emotionless violet eyes. Kagura, steadily, rose his blade high above his head, conjuring a vortex of purple energy to surrounding his blade until it lit up like a flame. The lone soldier watched as the man grabbed the hilt with his free hand and struck down, sending him into a world of black. Kagura's blade tore the man in half, exposing his organs as both halves fell to the ground in a bloody mess. All the blood that pumped through his veins now served as a pool of scarlet.

After a long, pregnant silence, Milia asked with her eyes still shut and ears covered, "Is it ok to look now?"

"No... I think its best to keep 'em closed kid." Ragna told her. Simultaneously, when Ragna took her up, loud booms roared perpetually through the air. He whipped to the source and gasped when he saw smoke boiling from the port town. What seemed like gunfire pierced the winter night like thunder without the power of the storm. "This ain't good... The bastards found us." Ragna bit.

"Then we need to hurry and get out of here." Came Kagura's voice from behind along with the foul stench of decomposition. Ragna glanced back at the carnage the rebel created before looking back at him. "I'm worried about them. A couple of these flunkies shouldn't be a problem for them, but..."

"I know, but," Ragna's eyes fell to the girl in his arms. "Just what are we gonna do with her?"

"We'll take her along." Was all Kagura said before taking the child from Ragna. He hovered a hand over the child as a magic sigil appeared, raining small pecks of light over her until they heard snoring. "Let's go." Kagura took off, leaving Ragna in silence for a moment before the Reaper followed him.

 **-Port town-**

Devastation laid in what used to be just a run of the mill town. Homes charred and boiling with smoke from their roofs, ashes replacing the white flakes that covered the earth white. Ragna and Kagura carefully made their way in, appalled at the gory sight before them. Corpses littered the walkways in what could only be described as a massacre. Deep slashes opened their abdomens, laying their intestines out like coils. Charred men, women, and children, fear freshly painted on their faces, watched the three walk by with their blank white eyes. Veins and arteries that once pumped life through their bodies now situated themselves like so many rubber hoses of denizen and soldiers alike. Heavy traces of sulfur lingered within the air, boiling from the smoke released from the charred houses. Guess the town put up some kind of fight, Ragna thought.

What a mess, Kagura thought to himself while glancing at some of the Librarian soldiers corpses. Rachel and Kokonoe must've had a slew of these guys thrown at them. He just hoped they were alright, but knowing them, this was nothing. Kagura halted his advance to an odd wound that covered some of the corpses.

"Hey, Ragna. Look at this?"

"What?" Ragna's eyes narrowed to the corpses Kagura directed him too. He didn't really see the problem, not at first anyway. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a slight change in these marks. These people seemed like they weren't slashed, but...pierced? Almost like an endless barrage of blades skewered them. Wasn't caused by magic or Ars Magus spells. They wouldn't leave these kinds of wounds. "What the hell...?"

"There you two are!" Came an agitated voice that Ragna really didn't want to deal with right now. Facing the voice and coming footsteps, Kokonoe and Rachel along with her familiars made their way over to them. Kokonoe had a mind to lay them out, but her thoughts were snatched from them to the sleeping Milia on Kagura's back. "Isn't that the kid from that village?"

"We'll explain later," Kagura sighed. "Right now, we need to get out of here. The NOL know who we are and most likely where we're headed. Staying here won't do us any good. Let's just hope there's a spare ship." None could see the port from here, not with all the smoke and fumes in the air.

"You people...are the ones from the wanted posters...!" Came the voice of an enraged child not too far off. Just off the corner of their eyes did they spot a small boy, a broken spear in hand covered in ashes. Hot tears ran down his bloodshot eyes. His fingers curled into tiny balls of anger as scarlet dripped down from his shaking hands and broken spear. "You're the reason why my mother, father, brother, and sister were all...!" No answer came from either one of them. Yelling at the top of his lungs, the lone boy charged at them, only to be blasted by an immeasurable force of wind. Like a ragdoll, the boy flew through the air and hit the ground with a heavy thud, now nothing but a lifeless corpse.

"Wha!?" Ragna whipped his head to the assailant. "The hell did you do that for!?"

"Why? Does it truly matter?" Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. "I do not need any more delays in our escape. We already wasted so much time here and—not only were we discovered," she clicked her teeth. "But now we have extra baggage. I do not need some raging child stalling me too. It's not like his death means anything to you."

"You little...!" Anger controlling his actions, he snatched the collar of the small vampire and forced her eyes to look dead into his.

"Princess!" Her familiars called out to their master in fear.

"You damn...!" His knuckles grew white from clenching her collar too hard, gritted teeth ready to break from the strong clench.

"So, are you going to hit me? Do it if you wish." Rachel, impassive, merely gazed at the angered man with arms by her sides, having no intention of guarding herself. His face was red, contorted with boiling rage. His hunched form exuded so much animosity the air around, if visible, would be scarlet. Without a word, Ragna pushed her and stomped off, fists clenched in balls of fury. Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the night, growing softer the further away he got. Until the platinum had gone far enough, Rachel's dispassionate facade faded, revealing the pain she tried so desperately to hold back. His eyes were like a knife in her ribs, the point digging into her until he let go. She's seen those eyes before, and they hurt. Even if she believed she deserved it, how he glared at her, eyes filled with total anger, it felt as if a bullet had pierced her heart. Her small hand gripped her ruffled collar, sighing, "I made sure I gave that boy a swift, painless death. Truly, it was all I could do for him."

"You really do want him to hate you..." Kagura sighed, taking his eyes from the vampire to the trudging Reaper ahead. "You two aren't very good at expressing your feelings. I thought that idiot didn't have any soft spots, but I guess you're the exception."

"Might I ask what you mean by that?"

"Not too long ago, he and I had a little chat," Kagura decided to leave their little—if he could even call that brawl 'little'—fight to himself. Thinking it best to avoid unnecessary questioning. "All I could see in his eyes were hatred, rage—unqueling fury. However, when he looks at you he seems...happy in a strange way. Like just now; you're probably the only one who can get that idiot to calm down. If it were anybody else, he'd knock them right out. But you... You're important to him. Even, just for a second, I saw how sad he was. Regret maybe? I wouldn't know," Kagura shrugged before walking off after Ragna. "You know him better than any of us here." Kokonoe moved off right after the rebel, leaving the vampire behind.

Whispers in the wind caressed her skin and swayed her pigtails, carrying the putrid stench of decay into her nose. Her hand curled around her neck, rubbing the vacancy of where her necklace once occupied. Crimson orbs fell to her boots as a shadow of guilt veiled her eyes. Her hand slipped back down to her sides, swaying a bit like a limp limb.

"Princess..." Nago's eyes narrowed into saddened ones right along with his bat companion.

"Let us go," Rachel spoke without picking her head back up, starting off after her allies. "We have wasted enough time in this place."

"Yes princess." Gii nodded as the two familiars rushed back to her side. Gaining back up to her allies, the group made their way to the port in stiff silence. Upon arrival, an immediate series of coughs ripped their throats. While only traces of it lingered in town, tremendous amounts of sulfur loomed around the port, sticking to it like seithr. Not like that was the only thing noticeable around here. Just like in town, NOL and citizen carcasses laid about in charred, slashed, ravaged heaps. Seemed like they tried to get away, but ended up fighting to the death. Four ships in total docked; three out of the four charred with the remaining ship in mint condition. Like that's not ominous...

'This feeling...!' "Everyone stop! Now!" Kokonoe abruptly yelled.

"What!? Don't just yell like that! What is it!?"

"Come out! I know you're watching us you son of a bitch!" Kokonoe yelled viciously to nobody, only for several footsteps to be heard seconds later. From the shadows, a man with several identical women appeared as Ragna unslung his sword in the process. "I knew it was you... I could never forget those damn 'eyes' of yours..." The one Kokonoe directed her palpable amount of hatred towards was the man in the center. A purple cape covered his right arm with a mask covering his eyes.

"Relius Clover... You really were lurking in this area." Rachel knew the man as well, right along with Kagura. Suspicion was held the moment she spotted the Prime Field Device. It was strange to her it would be all by itself.

"Rachel Alucard, Kokonoe Mercury, Kagura Mutsuki, and the Grim Reaper: Ragna the Bloodedge. How interesting." Relius stroked his beard, speaking as if they were lab rats. Ragna felt a chill works its way up his spine from the man's eyes. This guy...whoever the hell he is, is bad news. Ragna looked over to the three girls behind him, recalling two out of three. Another was a purple automaton and it seemed alive in a way. Just who the hell is this guy?

"I didn't think they'd send you here," Kokonoe said.

"The Azure Grimoire... A truly fine specimen indeed."

"Just babbling on like always, huh? Guess nothing's changed there." The beastkin sneered.

"Ignis. Lambda 11, Mu 12, Nu 13; retrieve the Azure Grimoire and dispose of the others."

"Roger." Giant swords impaled themselves behind all three girls which created a powerful gale and a cloud of dust that blocked their vision. Once the dust finally cleared, all three girls dawned odd suits of armor equipped with blades floating like wings behind them.

"Damn," Kagura clicked his teeth as he glanced back at the sleeping girl. "I can't fight like this."

"Damn it, Kagura. Just leave her somewhere," Kokonoe said.

"The hell!? Now that's taking it too damn far!"

"No, idiot," Kokonoe groaned. "Relius doesn't give a damn about anyone else besides his little 'test subjects'. Sadly, we just happen to be what he set his sights on. The girl snoozing on your back is a different story. Besides, they're after Ragna. Go with him and help fight." The beastkin looked to Rachel. "You too. I can handle him myself."

"Hmph. Do not presume to order me." Rachel flew away with a gust of wind as Ragna and Kagura went with her before giving the kid to Kokonoe. Like she predicted, the three Murakumo units flew after them, leaving her to contend with Relius.

"Greetings, Kokonoe," Relius greeted as Kokonoe set the small girl down against a crate. "It has been quite some time since I've seen you." She got up and turned to him as a massive hammer appeared in her hand. "I say it has been nearly seven years." Kokonoe gave the puppeteer no response before she kicked the ground with enough force to shatter the whole port and took to the air, hammer reeled back to swing. Eyes, once devoid of emotion, now filled with indescribable hatred, locked onto the man. Ignis' claw intercepted Kokonoe drill hammer, rattling, holding the weapon back from her husband. Those beast-like eyes spoke volumes and it intrigued the Colonel.

"Maybe you still have some worth."

"Relius Clover... I'll kill you!"

* * *

 **-Kagutsuchi-**

Jubei trotted down the lively, street light lit main street of Orient town to the port, receiving a few stares of awe from the citizens that spotted him. There wasn't a single person in this world who doesn't know who this man—well, cat is. A member of the Six Heroes and carrying the moniker of the 'strongest'; Jubei of the Six Heroes.

"Oh my god... Is that Jubei of the Six Heroes!?"

"N-No, it couldn't be. It definitely looks like him though..."

"Oh my god, it's Jubei! He really is a cat... Oh, he's so adorable~!"

Jubei didn't really know how to take that last one. Was he supposed to be embarrassed at the compliment or ashamed since his enemies probably think of him as some cute walking plushie...

Throwing that out his mind for now, he focused himself back on some rather disturbing news had caught his ears. Apparently, the Grim Reaper has been causing quite the uproar in Akitsu, along with some noteworthy companions. Breaking out of jail, hiding out in Akitsu, destroying a town on top of—if reports weren't wrong—slaying an S-class deamon; these guys were really making a name for themselves. Jubei, a member of the Six Heroes and elite guard, didn't pay them much attention. Something like this was bound to happen in this crazy ass world. Mostly, his concern lied with one particular member of those band of misfits.

His own daughter, Kokonoe.

How many years has it been since then? Twelve, if he wasn't mistaken. Never in his life had he felt so useless. Couldn't even keep his own daughter safe. Pathetic, he punished himself. At least, as ironic as it is to put faith in those doing evil, he knew she was in good hands. Rachel may not be what he'd call a 'willing' person, but she's got herself together. With her around, he had no doubt his daughter would be safe along with that Grim Reaper fellow she seems to be so fond of.

The vampire practically grew up in his paw and he couldn't rightly tell who this man was since she was always so cryptic about him. Certainly, he meant a lot to her since she would always worry about him, even calling out his name in her sleep. Several times when he went to check on her, she'd utter the name _Ragna_ without refrain. It may have been the only time he's ever seen such a troubled expression on her face. The vampire even shot up in cold sweats, yelling his name in undeniable fear. Not to mention that necklace she keeps so close to her. What kind of guy would be able to warm Rachel so much that she'd risk everything? Not like she really _had_ anything to lose. The poor girls gone through so much for a youngster, Jubei thought to himself, disgusted by the actions taken. Even though he has no right to ridicule since he knew it all.

Ridicule, spite, racism; everything was thrown at her even after such a dreadful experience. Locked up for months with no food, water, or sunlight. Garbed in nothing but worn, tattered cloth instead of her usual dress. Unwashed hair poking out at all ends, crimson eyes dark and lifeless—filled with nothing but hatred, regret, sorrow, and misery. From Jubei's point of view, the NOL was nothing but a criminal syndicate spreading blatant lies to the populace. To treat someone so young like this made him sick. Could've damn well died down there and nobody would give a shit. All he could do was care for her and try to shelter her, but damn was he in for a surprise. The girl had the mind of a mature adult and the wit of a hundred wise men. Such heavy attention to detail and rationality. A bit on the sour side and prickly, but she was a sword sheathed in velvet. Jubei prayed that, in the end, she accomplishes her goal. Whatever they may be.

"Hope this meetin' ain't too long..." Jubei exited the main road to arrive at the port where an Ars Magus vessel awaited him with several Pretorian guards along with those of the Wings of Justice standing guard. Hah, like he needed any protection. He was the labeled the 'strongest' for no damn reason. Still, he wasn't exactly in tip-top shape. The injuries he sustained during the war still affected him, maybe not as much that it was noticeable, but Jubei felt his body was much heavier than its supposed to be. Day by day it lessened and the warrior found his body moving the way he wanted it too, but its gonna take some time for him to regain the strength he wielded that bested Hakumen himself.

"Lord Jubei," the Captain's of the squadrons saluted him as the rest followed. "We've been waiting for you."

"I know... I'm ready to go." Jubei made his way passed the soldiers into the ship as the squadrons followed him in and made sure he was properly settled. If it was up to him he'd rather just hoof it to Ohkoto, but he didn't have much choice. The only thing that made this bearable was the fact that he could see his beloved wife and daughter soon. With his constant traveling and their moving about, the cat hasn't seen them in a little over a year. He missed the innocent smile his daughter, Celica, so joyously showed him and the plump lap of his wife he cuddled into. Now thinking about it, Jubei shivered to what Nine would say when she saw him again. Last time they spent so much time apart she...

Actually, that could be saved for another time...

"A meetin' with all the high rankin' officers... All of us are gonna be in attendance, including 'him'..." Jubei growled in disgust to a certain man who fought alongside him in the Dark War. Yuuki Terumi, another member of the Six Heroes and a former comrade; even though calling that man a 'comrade' is making a lot of assumptions. Not only did he revel in the death of others, he enjoyed every bit of destruction they witnessed. Comradery was something that bastard didn't know. However, he wasn't Jubei's only concern. Hakumen was right up there with Terumi. Something about him just felt off especially after the Dark War. It's as if he's plotting something. It gave the warrior chills. He's one of the Sankishin after all so even if it came down to it, defeating him would be no easy feat. "Bastards got somethin' brewin'. Just hope Trinity can figure out what they are..." Jubei shut his eyes to get some rest which opened back up by coming footsteps.

"Lord Jubei," came a feminine voice right beside him as Jubei looked up to meet the blue-haired soldier eye to eye. "Is there anything you need? It will take, at the minimum, thirty-eight yours to reach Ohkoto."

"I'm alright," the cat smiled curtly at the young woman. "I think you should rest. It's gonna be a long flight like ya said."

"I appreciate the concern, Lord Jubei."

"Ya don't need to be so formal," Jubei told her. "Just call me Jubei. Don't know why you folks need to be so uptight."

"Forgive me," she bowed. "Um, Lor—I mean... Mr. Jubei?"

Close enough.

"What exactly is this meeting for?"

"I don't rightly know myself. Who knows what goes on in Hakumen's head... I surely don't know." 'Besides... I've got a feeling this meetin' is more than just us gettin' together. With all the major power gettin' together it's like he's tryin' to draw something...or someone in. Is it for that Grim Reaper fellow?' "Anyway, I think you should go rest and relax. You can join me if you feel so inclined." Jubei didn't feel the need to bust his brain over it. He had a long trip ahead of him. The least he could do was just kick back and rest the old noggin'. No use worrying about milk that hasn't been spilled.

"I would be honored." The young soldier sat beside the warrior and smiled, "I just want to say I'm kind of a fan."

"It's alright. Might I get your name?"

"Oh! My name is Lieutenant Mai Natsume!" The young woman put her hand out to shake his paw. "It's a pleasure Mr. Jubei"

"Heh," the cat took her hand, smiling, "A pleasure."

* * *

 **-Port town-**

A cacophony of explosions, lightning, and clashing swords roared through the night and shook the earth, decimating the streets of the vacant port town. Rachel, who used a gust of wind to just barely managed to dodge an **_Ikutachi blade_** which snipped a piece of her bangs, landed a few feet away from the Murakumo, immediately summoning down a bolt of lightning. The Murakumo, almost instantaneously, teleported from each bolt, dashing with a burst of speed after the last one failed to hit its mark. Gii and Nago swiftly covered their master as Mu slammed herself into her, sending them into post a few paces behind them with enough force to form a small dent. Nago and Gii absorbed most of the damage but the area of impact happened to be rather sensitive.

Thankfully they'd managed to split the three girls up, but Rachel knew she was just overdoing it this time. Not only that, but she got the most dangerous of the bunch. Rachel fell to a knee, clutching her shoulder, cursing under her breath to the pain that wracked her body. The damn wound still hasn't healed yet and every time she moved it stung—which was putting it lightly since it hurt like **hell**. Using magic only seemed to worsen the injury. The vampire tried to rise but fell back on her knee, the pain far too great.

"Princess!"

"Target threat level decreasing... Termination...imminent." The Murakumo's pedals spread far like wings as several cannons appear out of thin air, surrounding the vampire. Rachel blasted into the sky with a gust of wind as all her cannons fired, raising smoke into the atmosphere. Almost like a doll, the Murakumo angled her head up to observe the rather high vampire. Lightning spark off her body, growing erratic and louder with each passing second. Suddenly, storm clouds brewed above, forming a vortex with Rachel below the eye. Veiling the clear night sky in an ominous cement gray. A small magic sigil drew above before expanding, sparking with purple electricity.

"Scanning... Magic output reaching dangerous levels... Retreat recommended."

 **"Clownish Claudia!"** Rachel brought forth a massive bolt of lightning down from the heavens, decimating the building that once stood. Leaving static and sparks buzzing about both in the air and in the smoke. Heavy pants escaped her lips in pale clouds, her chest heaving with each heavy breath. Rachel, hunched, descended back to the seared crater she created, landing with an inelegant wobble. Barely managing to keep herself up and her eyes opened.

Dust clouded her vision of the Murakumo and she hoped she was either knocked out or vaporized with that last attack. Sadly, neither came to pass, much to her displeasure. The cloud of dust slowly cleared as what seemed to be a triangular shield had safeguarded her. She barely had a scratch on her. A few measly chips in the shield were the only damage shown. Rachel could only chuckle in self-pity.

"To think this wound would weaken me so..."

"Damage minimal," Mu's shield vanished and her pedals fixed their points on the small vampire. "Continuing attack."

"Tch!" Rachel clicked her teeth as the Murakumo's pedals soared to her, ready to pierce and crucify her. Nago and Gii quickly jumped in front to protect their master, only for someone else to intercept the barrage of blades. A clangor of blades rang through the still night, chiming until a pregnant silence hung in the air, lifted by an irritating gruff voice.

"Look who got her ass kicked."

"Shut your mouth. I did not ask for your assistance. I can handle this on my own." Rachel bit. From above, Nu descended beside her sister, several bloody scratches covering her body and her skin tight body suit shredded and she seemed breathless. The same could be said about Ragna. Multiple impalement wounds covered his body, his jacket sopping with blood that still poured from the various wounds. "How pathetic... You haven't...taken care of her...?" Rachel's vision blurred as intense vertigo clouded her mind, bringing her wobbling body to a knee. Her familiars quickly ran to her side, worried, making sure she was alright.

"You aren't one to talk, Rabbit," Ragna glanced over his shoulder at the panting Rachel before giving his enemies his full attention. "Hey, stuffed toys. Look after your master."

"Primary target acquired. Resuming mission." Mu rocketed towards Ragna with a burst of speed as Nu followed behind. Ragna poured the grimoire's pour into his blade and swung up, summoning a beast-like head to tear through the floor and absorb them. Both girls were dragged through the snow before coming to a stop after crashing into a house. The seithr cloud created from the attack blew off in an instant as Mu and Nu rocketed out towards Ragna. However, their attacks have not only lessened in their intensity but they've also gotten slower. Ragna, even as injured as he was, easily avoided the combined effort of the two girls. Striking back with each failed attempt.

Ragna poured the power of the Azure Grimoire into his blade and launched a _**Dead Spike**_ tearing through the ground. This time, with their combined effort, the Murakumo's blocked the attack. Only for Ragna to appear from the thick fog and break through the blades with a _**Hells Fang**_ _._ Maintaining the Azure's power and using their imbalance to his advantage, Ragna brought his hand all the way up as a volcano of seithr absorbed the two girls. Mu and Nu's screams were overpowered by the beast-like roar emanating from the attack. Once it cleared, both girls lay immobile on the white powder. Pieces of their armor scattered like glass around them. Nu now only wore her torn up body suit while Mu had her jacket back. Ragna began over to them, blade ready to deal the finishing blow.

Instinctively, to the sense of danger, Ragna turned and arched his back as a yellow blade grazed his chest. Overhead, a shadow hovered before landing in front of the girls. Ragna turned to face the threat, only to find Lambda right in front of him. Various injuries covering her body from head to toe. Quickly, he swung his sword in an arch to deflect her **_Crescent Saber_**. Ragna's parry dazed Lambda just enough for him to finish her off with a **_Gauntlet Hades_** , sending her into a light post with enough force to not only shatter her armor but to bounce off and bend it over. Left in nothing but her skin tight body suit, the blond laid twitching on the cold floor, coughing blood.

"Hey!" Came a yelling Kagura, light on his feet and out of breath. The former rebel came to a halt beside them, panting, "Sorry, she got away from me just now."

"Doesn't matter," Ragna crossed over to the unconscious Mu and Nu, pointing his blade at them. "Let's get this over with." Before his blade drove itself into the unconscious girl, he turned his head to hear shuffling. Only to look down and find a crawling Lambda approaching him. What he expected—her trying to attack him to achieve her given mission—didn't happen. Instead, she completely ignored Ragna and knelt before him, arms stretched out to protect her sisters. Fixing the blades target.

"Please... Don't..." Came the monotone, breathless, fearful voice of Lambda. Shuffling beside her sisters on her hands and knees, Lambda's weak, painful body leaned over them to shield her two unconscious sisters, pleading, "Kill me... But don't hurt my sisters..." A cumbersome silence came after her plea, bringing a chilling wind. Kagura and Rachel could not see his face or read his mood. It grew still and cold like the breeze that caressed their skin. Kagura roughly itched the back of his head, riddled with guilt even after everything that's happened. Mostly with them trying to maim him and cut him up like a shishkabob. Rachel stood with her arms crossed, observing with narrowed eyes what action the Grim Reaper will take.

Only to watch his sword brought in a violent arc at the shivering Lambda and her unconscious sisters...

 **Ok, haven't posted in a while for this story. Anywho the stories I have will be on a little hiatus since I'll be helping a friend with his fic. I won't be gone long, but just a heads up. Hope yall liked this and I'll see ya all later!**

 **Chapter 8: To Yabiko**


	9. Chapter 9

**It's odd that you pointed that out, Guest. I'll answer you as to why there is such contradiction in the first place. First of all, I want there to be contradictions between the characters—especially between Ragna and Rachel. I mean, those two are far too stubborn to tell the other how they really feel. But if you want me to clarify the reason why just PM me. It's much easier than waiting forever for a response like this. As for them feeling all macho? I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you mean when they fought against those soldiers? If that's what you mean, that's pretty much normal. Ordinary soldiers are no match for people like them as you've seen in the actual story mode Ragna mows down peasants like them like copy paper. Now, the story!**

 **Chapter 8: To Yabiko**

"I see… I understand now," Rachel, her arms crossed and eyes now fixed on the snoring Milia who napped on the bed before her. She closed her eyes briefly to take in the information shared to her by Kagura and Ragna, her lashes brushed against her cheek. The vampire felt a sickness churn in her gut to the story. A truly foul one at that. For those supposedly defending the people, they may be even fouler than the daemons they claim to be battling. "As I do understand the problem, we have another: what are we going to do with her? Having her cry everytime she awakens grows tiresome." Earlier, they managed to elude Relius Clover; however, it seemed to be his will. As the moment they arrived on the scene to support Kokonoe, the man had already left. Ominous as that was, that problem had subsided, at least for the time being, this child posed another.

"Maybe we can drop her off in Yabiko," Kagura suggested after a moment of thought. "I can ask Hibiki to take her in. I'm sure she'll be safe there."

"I'm not too sure," Kokonoe interjected. "Even a kid as small as this could be labeled a criminal. Those Zero Squadron assholes tried to kill her—there's no telling what they'll do if they find her again. There has to be some other place we can drop her off." As if woken up by her suggestion, Milia's eyes flickered open as innocent hazel looked up at Kokonoe.

"You're…going to leave me?" She asked, her voice tired while filled with fear.

"We've got no choice," Ragna said. "If we bring you along, you're gonna get in the way." He didn't mean to sound harsh to the small child, but he needed to get that point across without argument. They were picking a fight with the NOL themselves—they were about to wage war. There's no way he could bring a kid along with the heavy chance of her getting hurt or worse. Caring about the life another while bearer the moniker of 'Grim Reaper'? Hah. How ironic...

"Please, don't leave me," Milia shot up from the bed as her hazel orbs shook; tears now streamed down her reddened cheeks as she sobbed, "I won't get in the way—just, please… Don't leave me alone."

"You need to understand," Kagura started, his voice softer in order not to startle the sobbing kid. "You'll be in danger. There's no reason to put yourself in a position that could lead to your death."

"I don't care!" Milia cried. Tears rolled down her chin and dripped on the wood like a dam had broken. "I don't want to be alone! First my daddy…and then mommy…! I… I-I…!" The child's throat grew raw as it felt as if her throat was being ripped. Her breathing quickened to a point where it was impossible to keep track of. Kokonoe, who watched the child sob, narrowed her eyes as the sobbing Milia replaced itself with a younger version of herself, and just like this child, she didn't have a mother or father to wipe away the tears. She stood alone in a vacant space, constantly wiping her eyes herself, turning them blood red until Milia had come back.

"…This is why I hate dealing with kids." Kokonoe sighed as she, rather uncharacteristically, stooped down to Milia and brought her in which the small child quickly cuddled in to. Ragna stood in silence, watching the child cry; finally having enough, he walked out and towards the deck. Steel toed boots patted across the wood, the only sound on the quiet ship besides his footsteps were the waves hitting the vessel, causing it to creak. Once out on the deck, he trotted over to the railing and looked outwards. Night still hung over the world with the snow growing less and less the more they traveled, signaling they were leaving Akitsu.

Ragna would like to say they were back on track, but he'd be lying. Now they had an orphaned aboard, and god knows when the NOL could attack en route. They could appear and try to blast their asses before they even reach Yabiko and he had no time to protect her. And it wasn't only Milia that concerned him either…

"Damn it… Why'd this shit have to get so complicated?"

"You seem to be in heavy thought," came Rachel approaching him from behind.

"What do you want, Rachel?" Ragna asked, not even turning to face her, only stealing a glance before giving his gaze to the sea ahead.

"Why did you decide to spare them?" Rachel couldn't say she wasn't curious about his little mercy act. The vampire thought back to the climax of their battle with the Murakumo girls and it struck her as odd he spared them. Rachel could recall his answer to Lambda's question of why he spared them. Apparently, he owed them. For what, she hadn't the slightest clue. Most likely just an excuse to hide the fact he is far too soft for his own good. Hasn't changed much since back then. The years in that jail cell may have hardened his exterior, but his interior remained as soft as when he was but a child. One good thing did come of it, however, as they now have those three girls on their side. At least for the time being.

"That's none of your business." Ragna bit after a momentary silence.

"I suppose it isn't; however, that child does seem to concern you quite a bit. Do you think it is wise to just leave her like that?"

"Spoken like you actually give a damn," Ragna chuckled half-heartedly. "Look, she ain't my problem. We're gonna bring her to Yabiko, and leave her with that…Hibiki guy—or whatever. She'll be safer there than with us."

"Do you feel sorry for her?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"I just feel you do not wish to let her go," Rachel's odd accusation ripped Ragna's eyes from the sea to her. "Mother and father taken away by cruel, unjust means at such a young age. Does that sound like someone? I believe it does. It is like looking in a mirror, isn't it?" The Reaper merely clicked his teeth and faced the ocean once more. "You know what the NOL is like. Yet you still leave her with them?"

"She ain't like you or me—they can find her a home. She's done nothing wrong."

"That must go for her mother, too?"

"Stop beating around the bush. You got something you wanna say—just say it."

"That child knows far too much. She runs the risk of going public with that information. The moment we leave her in the hands of the NOL, it will only be a matter of time before she ends up like her mother and father." Rachel said.

"Again, not my problem."

"And what is your concern?" Rachel queried. "Is it Hakumen? Your brother, Jin?"

"Just shut the hell up already," he snapped. "What I do is none of your damn business—so quit acting like you actually give a crap about anyone other than yourself." A pregnant silence followed his outburst. Ragna felt his heart halt for a moment and looked over his shoulder to find her gaze now attended to the floorboards.

"You're right. Try not to stand out here for too long or else you'll catch a cold. We have a long journey ahead, so try and get some sleep. Goodnight." Was all she said before the vampire started off, unaware of the contrite eyes that watched her disappear into the ship and the arm held out to call her back.

"Yeah... Nite," Ragna managed to say after fighting to get his words out from his throat. Though, the vampire had long since disappeared into the darkness of the ship. His arm fell back to his side as he turned to the ocean and clenched the wooden railing, unintentionally breaking the feeble wood with relative ease. Ragna saw his pathetic reflection and felt like punching, though it wouldn't do much. Even if he apologized to her later, what good would that do? "Damn it all to hell…" Ragna fished into his pocket and pulled out a necklace.

It was the one he gave to Rachel back in the day.

He couldn't believe she still had it after all this time. Though, it wasn't in mint condition. The ruby had cracks that seemed as if one gust of wind could shatter it and the chain had broken off along with the piece that connected it so he couldn't fix it. Why'd she still have this thing anyway? Thought she would've thrown this damn thing out by now. Ragna clenched the old pendant in his hand, careful not to break the gem.

 _The moment I see you as a hindrance, or you dare interfere with me, I'll kill you right there, Ragna..._

Those words lingered within him ever since she spoke them. Her eyes filled with so much hate, sadness, and regret. Her voice was unlike the Rachel he knew. He should've stayed with her, even if she started to scream and curse him out; instead, he just left. The part of him that just couldn't forgive her, and felt sick being around her, removed him from the room. Ragna felt anger build up the longer he held the childhood gift in his hand. All he wanted to do was chuck this bastard as far as he could into the deep blue sea, but he didn't; he knew damn well he couldn't throw it; he didn't want too. It may just be a memory to her, but it was important to him.

The Grim Reaper stuffed the broken gift back into his pocket then sighed, "Damn that stupid Rabbit... Stirrin' my emotions like that damn tea of hers..."

"Didn't I tell you that's not the right way to treat women?" Kagura's voice came from beyond the entrance to the ship as the man walked out and crossed over to Ragna, stopping a few steps from the man. Ragna gave the man no reply. He didn't feel like dealing with his shit. He wasn't in the mood. Though that didn't stop Kagura; he just kept on talking. "You really gotta work on that. Maybe when we get to Yabiko, I can show you the proper way to make a woman putty in your hands."

"What the hell do you want?"

"Came to ask what were we gonna do with those three girls, but I come to see you bruting like a guy who just got dumped. Trust me, it sucks." Kagura said.

"I'll check on them again before I go to bed." Ragna sighed as he leaned off the broken railing and trotted passed Kagura, not even glancing at the man. Kagura didn't try to stop him and just watched him disappear into the ship. The rebel gave his gaze to the poor wood that felt the fury of Ragna's fist and sighed, "That guy really needs to wake up. If he can't see it himself—he's hopeless." Kagura crossed to the spot Ragna once stood and stuffed his hands in his pocket. Yabiko… Been a year now. Wonder if anything changed. Kagura filled his head with aimless thoughts, mulling aloud his plans and what he was going to do, however, when one man came to mind, Kagura's smirk and nonchalant expression disappeared.

Nothing but rage, anger, and resentment remained. Kagura brought his right hand up and looked into his palm before clenching it into a tight fist. Kagura couldn't help feeling like a bit of a hypocrite. Here he was telling Ragna not to let revenge and anger lead his life, but that's all that's been driving Kagura to live for the year he spent incarcerated. It was all because of _him_. Tighter and tighter, his nails dug passed the bandages into his flesh. Crimson breached the cracks in his fingers and dripped to the wood.

"I'll make that bastard pay for what he's done. With my own two hands."

* * *

Ragna trotted down to the lower level of the vessel to the room in which the three Murakumo's stayed. The Grim Reaper knocked a few times, saying he was coming inside, before clutching the doorknob. The moment he did, heavy movement went on behind the door. Not this crap again, Ragna internally groaned before pushing the door open to find the three back up at the far end of the room, Mu before them, with her arms in front of her cowering sisters. Though, he didn't pay her or her harsh gaze any mind. His eyes drifted to the empty plate where a few scraps of food remained then back to them to find their bruises and injuries had vanished as well. Guess that healing ointment worked better than he thought. When Ragna started into the room, Mu hardened her gaze and prepared herself for what's to come, only for it to drop a smidge when Ragna picked the empty plate off the dresser and started out. Right before he could open the door, Mu's voice stopped him.

"What do you want with us? Why did you spare us?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Ragna looked over his shoulder at them. "I didn't spare you outta the goodwill of my heart. Like I told your sister, you three are gonna be helpin' me. Call it a trade-off for me not killin' you."

"So, you're just going to use us and throw us away when you're done? You, humans, are all the same… You just use others, and when you're done with them, you throw them away. I won't let you treat my sisters like tools." Mu said.

"So, you're self-aware…" Ragna faced the door then said, "Word of advice: stay by their side."

"What?" Mu's eyes trained on him as he left the room after his final word. Once the door clicked shut, she turned to her cowering sisters as his words echoed in her head. Did he mean…her sisters? The Murakumo shook her head, not worrying about that now, and said, "Don't worry, he's gone now. He can't hurt us." Nu and Lambda looked up to find Ragna gone and Mu smiling at them as they smiled back. "Let's go to bed." Mu looked at the bed and sighed, "But there's only room for two… Ok, you two can sleep on the bed while—" Before Mu could finish, Lambda and Nu dragged her to the bed and threw her on the mattress, soon joining her as they stuck her in the middle. Lambda and Nu then threw the covers over them and squeezed themselves to Mu so they could fit.

"There's enough space…" Lambda said.

"Nu thinks so too…" Nu chimed. A pause. "Can Nu ask you a question?"

"What is it, Nu?" Mu arched a brow.

"Do you think…we'll ever be free?"

"…I don't know," Mu answered. "I'm not sure when or where…or even if. We just have to hope that, one day, we'll be able to go wherever we want. Then, we can travel anywhere we want—when we want, just like those people in storybooks." Mu said in encouragement. For what seemed like an eternity ago, the three girls read a tale of a brave adventurer that sailed the seas. Meeting friends and allies alike on his journey, he sailed to the far corners of the world. It was such a funny story, and they read it so many times they could read off every word without even looking at the book. Reading that small children's tale, they learned what fun was. It let their minds wander into the unknown and they would sit for hours just picturing what their adventures would be like.

Unbeknownst to them, Ragna hadn't left and leaned himself against the wall and overheard their conversation; he couldn't help but smile at their almost childish conversation. To travel the world together, huh? Reminded him when Jin declared they would go on their own journey together; sail the high seas and see what the world had to offer. He had this entire plan set up for them and they even bought a compass with the money they saved up in preparation for their later adventure. They would stay up all night talking about it. Crawling into a bedsheet made fort to discuss their plans. It was…a nice dream. In the end, though, that's all it was...a dream.

Ragna pushed himself off the wall and made his way up to his room, coming to a stop just outside Rachel's room as a thought of knocking to see if she was awake crossed his mind. He stood before her door in contemplation before continuing off to his room. Once he reached it and stepped inside, Ragna closed the door, threw his jacket over a small chair in the corner, stepped out his boots; threw himself onto his bed then covered himself. He quickly fell asleep but awoke to knocks on his door and quick footsteps. Blurry eyes opened and watched a small body squiggle underneath his sheets, finding its way up from the bottom of the bed. Ragna rubbed his eyes with a groggy groan and lifted his sheets to find Milia.

"What in the hell are you doing, kid?" Ragna asked with a frog in his throat. "Weren't you with Kokonoe?"

"Ms. Kokonoe forgot to bathe and fell asleep, so I came in here. Can I sleep with you Mr. Grim Reaper?"

She wanted to sleep with the Grim Reaper? Wow, that's not something you hear everyday…

"Sure, whatever. Just don't move too much or I'll kick you right out." Ragna was far too tired to care about her sleeping with him as she made herself comfortable beside him.

"Thank you! You're really nice Mr. Grim Reaper," Milia smiled.

"Just call me, Ragna…" He sighed.

"Ok, Mr. Ragna,"

"Close enough…"

 **Arsmagus Vessel**

Saya's door slid to the side as she entered her room as the door slid back and locked. She just came from eating with Makoto and Tsubaki in the catering bay. Though, quite a few subjects were brought up that wouldn't be considered casual table talk. Captain Hazama, Saya mulled aloud with a bead of sweat running down her face. Recently he had been on the move, mainly around Jin, and hearing he actually confronted him worried her; furthermore, bringing up a supposed brother? Made her wonder what else he knew. From what Tsubaki said, it didn't seem like Hazama was trying to trick Jin as he had an idea of a brother somewhere out there; however, she didn't go too much into the subject and Saya and Makoto didn't try and pry more from her. She looked so shaken…how could she ask for more?

Tsubaki had always been stern, collected—the perfect role model and student. Ever since she knew her, she always looked up to Tsubaki as an older sister of sorts. She knew just about everything there was to know about her and her lovable squirrel companion. In all her years, she'd never seen such an expression shroud her face. Even Jin who she spotted recently had a schooled expression as if preparing and on guard for someone to stab him in the back. Something in the back of her mind told her that he needed to be alone, so she left him be. The air around the NOL had changed; something big would take place soon. Change would be brought upon the world, and for better or worse, it made her shiver. Just so much is happening now and she had no idea what to do; on the other hand, she may have an idea as to who could help her. Saya thought about it for a moment before she closed her eyes, then opened them back up to find herself surrounded by darkness.

"You answered. That's rare…" Saya said, blinking once to find Izanami before her. Lifeless red eyes a few inches away and her expression not too pleased. She'll get right to the point then. "Do you know what Captain Hazama and Yuuki Terumi are plotting?"

"Is that what you summoned me for?" Izanami exhaled a frustrated sigh. "Even if I did know, I have no obligation to tell you. I will not assist you everytime you find yourself at a loss."

"I guess I should've expected something like that," Saya sighed.

"Hmph. However… I find it very interesting of the thoughts of Jin Kisaragi. I can see why Hakumen keeps such a keen eye on that man. He may possess the 'order' after all…" Izanami's odd smirk caught her attention as Saya arched a brow.

"Order?"

"Nothing, a child like you, should be worried about; however, I have a tip I would like you deliver to your brother for me." Saya's eyes narrowed to the change in tone and the smile that curled her lips. Slowly, Izanami faded; black turned blue as Saya found herself in her room. The soldier lifted her hand off the bed and hovered it above her face, looking into her palm as if it had meaning. Saya couldn't make heads or tails of what the death goddess meant with her vague, cryptic nonsense. But, it's not like this is the first time Izanami played games with her mind. Sometimes Saya thought Izanami hadn't even lost her memory and just said so to conceal information and toy with her. At least her sadism was consistent. She repeated it over and over again in her mind and decided to mumble it aloud to see if she could make any sense of it.

"The source of all corruption lies in the light…"

Nope, still nothing.

 **Yabiko docks**

Day now replaced night as Ragna and co. docked off their ship to step onto the port of Yabiko. Rays of sunlight from the noon sun bathed their skin as the delectable scent of fried fish and various other seafood delicacies filled their nostrils. Milia, who held Kokonoe's coat by her tiny fingers, looked around in wonder at the massive port. She'd never gone outside her town before. So to see something like this was mind-blowing. Food she's never laid eyes on; people she'd never seen before; the various shops opened up and basically calling her over. Kagura shared in the young child's happiness. The man stretched his arms with a grin when his feet touched the boards of the Yabiko port. The former Mutsuki heir took in the familiar smells and glanced at quite a few fine specimens walking by. Some of whom waved back at him with eyes he's seen too many times to count. Damn, it felt good to be home. Sadly, while he would love to approach and snag a number or eight, business came first.

"Alright," Kagura turned about face to his allies. "I'm gonna head into Yabiko and get what we need. While I'm gone, I want you guys to lay low. Can't have the authorities catching onto us."

"Ms. Kokonoe," Milia tugged on the beastkins coat, asking, "Can we go into town?"

"If you wanna get arrested by the NOL, be my guest," Kokonoe shrugged as the child pouted.

"Go easy on the kid, will you…?" Kagura said.

"Speaking of… We need to find a place to drop this kid off," Ragna said. "Can't go anywhere with her around."

"Right…" Kagura nodded, turning his gaze to the child as she quickly ran behind Kokonoe, later sighing, "Let's hold off on that for now. It's gonna take time for me to get there and back, so…take her around the city. I'm sure she wants to get a good look around."

"Really!" Milia hoped back out, eyes wide and glimmering in excitement.

"Hold on there," Kokonoe quickly stepped in. "We're still wanted by the NOL! Why the hell would—!"

"I wanna go eat the fried fish!" Milia tugged on Kokonoe's arm, jumping up and down. "Let's go! Let's go!" The small child then pulled Kokonoe off as she protested, her objections fading into the noise of the port and their bodies disappearing into the crowd.

"They hit it off pretty well. Now, back to the matter at hand. Rachel, can you go into town and get some supplies? We're running a bit low." Kagura said, later groaning, "And, Ragna, I've been meaning to ask you all morning…"

"Don't even…" Ragna rubbed his eyes in aggravation to the three girls poking their heads out on the ship. The Grim Reaper peaked over his shoulders to his observers, not locking eyes with them for no more than a second before turning back to Kagura. "They've been following me all morning. Just try and ignore them."

"I'll…do that. Anyway, I'm off," he grinned and waved before he started off into the crowd. Kagura stopped when he heard his name called and turned to find Ragna coming up to him. The man couldn't help but arch a brow at the man's expression. "What's up?"

"…I need a favor."

"Hm?"

 **Yabiko (Sewers)**

Kagura made his way through the sewer system below Yabiko after a short stop. The man couldn't help but chuckle at Ragna's request. That was the last thing he expected to hear from him, but he could poke fun at him when he returned. What's more surprising was this particular pathway hadn't been blocked off or caved in. It was probably all Hibiki's doing. Only Hibiki would be able to keep something like this hidden for so long. Man…if he needed to get something done, he was the man to do it. Didn't matter how impossible the task—he made it possible. Guy was one hell of a smartass though… Always had a quick quip and a sharp tongue towards him, even though he was his boss. At times, Kagura wondered if he remembered who wrote his paycheck. Not once could he remember not being reprimanded for taking a girl out—I mean, come on! Where's the harm in that? Can't a man have some fun with a gorgeous young lady? Kagura, now before a ladder leading up took it out of the sewer and into a small room with a metal door at the end of it. The rebel made his way to the door and knocked a few times.

"Yo, Hibiki, you there?" Kagura groaned when he didn't get an answer. Maybe he got stationed somewhere else? No… They would need him here to help calm the citizens. On his way, Kagura caught a few areas still being rebuilt, and even some guy preaching about revolting. Yabiko was his central base after all. Fitting that the citizens of this city still believe in a revolt. "Hey! Hibiki!" He called out again, waiting another moment before sighing to the silence.

"…You sure have taken your sweet time getting here." A voice behind him said, startling him as the man leapt back. Kagura, who now faced the voice, took a breath of relief. Just the person he was looking for.

"Holy shit, Hibiki… You almost killed me," Kagura said after a long exhale.

"I thought they would have killed you by now. Guess I was wrong,"

 _And hasn't changed a bit…_

"You're as much as a buzzkill as ever… Weren't you even worried about me? I thought we were bros…" Hibiki stood about a few inches shorter than him and a thinner, almost feminine frame with black hair, brown eyes, and a rather bland way of speech looking no older than at least his early twenties. Maybe even that was a stretch, but with, those bags under his eyes, he looked somewhat older. Kagura narrowed worried eyes at his former assistant, wondering how long as it been since he's gotten any sleep or even had a cup of coffee.

"What we are is on a timetable," Hibiki said sharply. "I have an inkling as to why you're here and what you plan on doing, and quite frankly, I am not so sure you should go through with it."

"Don't worry, I've got that covered. This time, I got a little back up."

"So, you truly are traveling with the Grim Reaper…"

"News came around already?" Kagura asked.

"Not much. The destruction of a small port town in Akitsu caused by your group had stirred quite a bit of tension in the NOL. Though I doubt you all were the cause, they seemed to have shifted the blame onto you." Hibiki walked passed him to the door. "Come with me."

"Straight to business, eh?" Kagura joked with a shrug. "Can't even say hello…"

Hibiki was quiet for a moment. "…We found her." He finally said as Kagura's expression schooled. "She killed several squadrons when we confronted her."

"I told you not to go after her, Hibiki," Kagura said sternly.

"So, you wish to leave her to her fate? Don't you want to save her?"

"Of course I do," Kagura claimed.

"Then I will fill you in on the details of her whereabouts." Hibiki opened the door and walked into the darkness with Kagura in tow. Even after what he said, he was still glad to hear she hadn't crooked yet. Maybe he still had a chance to save her…

 **Shrine of the Sankishin**

Symbols covered the bone white walls and ceiling of the inner sanctum of the large sanctuary. Statues of the Sankishin circled the room with Hakumen sitting in the center of them. The hero was not alone, however. Someone had joined him. An old acquaintance, he would say. However, _'acquaintance'_ was far too weak a word to use for someone he called ' _sister'_.

"It has been a while, Tsukuyomi. If you are able to project yourself like this, it would mean your soul has wandered into an appropriate vessel?"

"Yes…it has." She finally spoke after an hour of silence. Her voice was as silvery and melodious as he remembered. Light enough to put anyone to sleep and smooth enough to enchant all who heard it. However, she sounded much calmer than he expected. Hakumen was sure he would be met with anger or hatred from her, but she had always been the most tranquil out of the three of them. Tsukuyomi wore a form-fitting ceremonial white dress that cut open in front to expose her legs. The goddess started over to Hakumen, her sandals tapping against the floor, her bust bouncing with each step.

"Is there something you wish to ask me?" Hakumen finally stood and faced his sister to find contrite golden eyes staring at him, the woman a head and a half shorter than him. If anyone were to eye her on the street, they would assume her age to be in the mid-twenties. The expression on her face exposed worry, and he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"We have done our duty. Why do you insist on meddling in human affairs?"

"It is all for the sake of saving this world; to restore it to its natural state," Hakumen answered.

"Can we really call this 'saving'?" Tsukuyomi shook her head and clenched a fist on her ample bosom. "We can't do this—we don't have the right. Gods, we may be; judges, we are not. Humans can't be led by reason alone. Emotions, thoughts, and feelings guide them… Who are we to tear that away from them?"

"Why do you turn your back on me?"

"I would never," she shook her head. "I just want you to understand that we are not meant to interfere with humans. I know _'you'_ would better hear me than that man."

"…Even if I wished to stop, I can not. You know, better than anyone, turning back is impossible." Tsukuyomi stayed silent. "You may hate and despise me if you wish, but I will continue to do what I must to ensure the world does not fall into chaos. It is why I expelled you from the unit."

"If you wish to avoid chaos, what do you plan to do with the Master unit? Now that 'she' no longer inhabits it."

"That is why I cannot miss this chance. Upon the next Scarlet Night, a 'future' must be constructed away from her gaze. This world has run out of possibilities due to the selfish ego of man. I am not trying to play God. All I wish to do is set the world back on its proper path."

"But we are not the ones who should set that in motion. I am not saying to leave the humans to their demise. What I mean is we should guide them down the proper path instead of taking the helm." Warm hands took his colder ones as she cupped them. "Please, understand."

"We have watched for millennia; we cannot sit back anymore. The world is coming to an end. Daemons are running amok more than ever before. More and more people are losing their existences and becoming these foul creatures. To ensure this world does not fall prey to doomsday; I will do whatever I have to."

"So that is the reason you…" Tsukuyomi took a deep breath. A pause. "…Does this involve, Ragna the Bloodedge?" Tsukuyomi suddenly asked as Hakumen remained quiet. "You wish to know why the Azure created another possibility within that boy."

"That is part of it. If I said I wasn't curious, it would be a lie," Hakumen slipped his hands from hers and turned back to face his throne. "If that is all, it is time you depart back to your vessel. I can feel your power waning."

"Very well…" The goddess took a few steps forward toward the exit and stopped after putting some distance between her and Hakumen. "Just remember this dear brother: whatever you decide, I will be right by your side to fight along with you. Even if that road is filled with strife, I will be here for you to lean on. Never forget that." Was all the platinum said before she left, Hakumen turning to face the exit when her presence lifted.

"You call me your brother…hm?" Hakumen looked at the sword sheathed on his back and thought back to its previous wielder. He had never met a human with such vigor, such tenacity, such fortitude; such strength and will. It was because of him that he awakened to who he was now. That man gave his life to show him the value of one's self. No longer was he just a vessel; he was his own being; he had a name. Hakumen started out of his sanctuary and found it to be night time. The moon and stars so close he felt as if he could reach up and touch them. Before he started down the mountain of stairs, he turned to a presence that lingered behind a column. "Come out. I know you are there," Hakumen watched the enigma reveal themselves from its hiding place. Her violet hair swung in the coming wind and her lips curled in an amused smirk. "Hades…you are not welcome here. Leave at once."

"I'm not? This is my shrine too if you have forgotten. Tis only fitting I visit from time to time."

"If I have forgotten? Funny, coming from a woman who has lost her memories." Hakumen commented.

"A shame, truly,"

"You do not seem bothered by it though… What scheme are you hatching, Hades?" Hakumen asked.

"Scheme? I haven't the slightest inkling as to what you are referring. I have no nefarious plots brewing, though, I cannot say the same for him. He seems to be plotting something interesting behind your back. Waiting for the chance to take back what is rightfully his? That is not my concern anyway. What I wish to know is just what you plan to do with this world?"

"That is none of your concern. I will not waste any more time speaking to one that has fallen so far out of grace. You no longer stand on the plain of the gods, Izanami. Know your circumstances well and behave. If I so wish it, I could cut you down without much effort."

"Hmph. What do you hope to gain with your fool hearty efforts? Do you think you can save this world? A world so close to doomsday, I can practically see the world crumbling away." Hakumen remained silent as he made his way down the stairs. Izanami made no attempt to go after him and faced the moon. Again, she found nothing. A shame really. All this endeavor did was tire her out and she couldn't afford to waste her power. Even though she had a vessel, extensive use of her own power would ultimately lead to her demise. As much as it irked her, she had no choice but to wait. The death goddess just exhaled before her form faded into the wind.

 **Elsewhere**

Rachel lay in bed, twisting and turning to try and find a comfortable, cool spot for her to lay in that didn't pool in sweat. The cool night breeze that blew in through the window didn't help much. It just felt lukewarm against her scalding skin. Pain crippled her body, and with each turn and breath, it lanced into her with never-ending ferocity, crashing against her like angry waves. Her face took a disgustingly clammy bearing and her eyes had heavy bags of bleach under them. As the waves rocked the cruising ship, Rachel felt a tad bit sick. At this point, a pebble could bring her to her knees. She may have pushed herself a bit too far fighting Mu. Only now did she feel the true effects of their battle; however, something else wracked her brain that accompanied her agony.

 _To think he would call Ragna out… Just what is he planning?_

A few hours ago Kagura returned and filled them in on the details. While not much, they at least knew where Hakumen was; that didn't make it better though. In fact, the situation grew even worse. Unlike the other cities, Ohkoto is guarded by a fortress that prevents outsiders from reaching it. The moment the NOL spotted their approach, the battleships stationed would blast them out of the water and she didn't have the strength to put up the Tsukuyomi barrier. Not only that, she is practically useless in combat. On the upside side, they had the three other Murakumo girls who were more than enough to fill in her shoes. But what's stopping them from turning on them and aiding the NOL when things get heavy? At this point, they were marching to their deaths.

Just what were they going to do now?

What could they do?

Her familiars watched their master with saddened eyes, wondering what they could do to help their poor master. Just seeing her like this tore them up. She looked so weak. Like all the life had been taken out of her. It was getting worse by the day, and they feared the worse.

"Princess, do you want some more water?" Nago finally asked after taking a glance at her half drunken cup.

"No… I just…need to be alone," Rachel barely managed to say through her panting. Each word stripped her of large portions of her air supply; her chest heaved with each breath, eyes droopy and hair in disarray. She merely shooed the cat and bat away; begrudgingly, they listened and exited the room. Rachel got up on her position on the bed to put her boots back on. She kicked her boots a few times on the wooden floor then crossed over to the door and opened it to find Ragna before her with his knuckles just about ready to knock. "Ragna?"

"O-Oh, uh, Rabbit. I figured you'd be asleep by now."

"Same could be said about you. Care to explain what it is you want from me?" Rachel queried.

"Well, I just…"

"You just, what?"

"Um, I…" Ragna roughly scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to see if you were up still up. Was strolling by and thought I'd see if you fell asleep."

"I see. Now, can you tell me what it is you want from?"

"But I just did!"

"Come now; I am no fool, Ragna. Even that child could see through such a fib. Now, explain to me why it is you came to my room."

Silence.

"I wanted to ask you some questions," Ragna answered.

"I have no reason to disclose any more information to you than you already know," Rachel said. A pause. "But…I am willing to answer a few questions. I would rather avoid mistakes that could get me killed." She stepped aside and allowed him in as Ragna took a seat on her bed with Rachel joining him. "What is it you wish to ask me?"

"It's about the barricade," Ragna started. "Figured you could give me more information on it. It's layout, possible weak points."

"And you came to me for such answers?" Rachel arched a brow. "Why in the five corners of Midgand would you get the idea I know this?"

"Because if you were planning to stage a rescue for me, you would've eventually come to a conclusion that we might have to travel to Ohkoto and the only way to get there would be through the barricade. You're not an idiot. You know you wouldn't have been able to take on some many soldiers. So, you would've studied the layout and find some alternate route. That's just who you are."

"That is…quite the conclusion you came up with," Rachel nodded then, her motion almost robotic, as she blinked in surprise. She couldn't help but blush a bit to the standard he set for her. She hesitated for a moment as a variety of different emotions flit within her. So much that she couldn't identify them all. "I do have a…few suggestions," she said finally spoke after she cleared her throat, re-equipping her usual mask to ensure he couldn't see her flush or her pain. "However, even if we did act on them, we do not have the ability to carry them out. There is just too little of us. While I doubt the NOL could stop us, the battleships stationed are an entirely different story; furthermore, we cannot afford to alert the guards stationed. If we did, they would surround us in mere seconds. It wouldn't take long to call reinforcements."

"That heavily guarded, huh?" Ragna cupped his chin in thought. "So then how the hell are we makin' it passed? That meeting or whatever is in a few days. Whatever plan you had, I think it's worth listening to. Maybe we could work something out?"

"There is a mountain that leads to the fortress. A side door that leads into the left outer most interior. If we could get in there, and open the gates, we could slip through. The only problem is the steps to do that takes more than just us. We…would need a team…to infiltrate…" A pain laced Rachel at her side as her face scrunched in discomfort. She tried to keep her pain from her expression, but her sudden loss of breath and silence had already caught his attention.

"Do you…need a minute?" Ragna wasn't sure if she got a cramp or had some leftover pains from their previous bout with the Murakumo units, which he highly doubted.

"I am alright. I just…bit my tongue… Like I was saying," Rachel started again after the pain lulled. "We would need a team to infiltrate the base, open the gates, and destroy the battleships while the other team passes through the gates with our ship and I highly doubt any guild would assist us."

"Yeah," he crossed his arms. "Just how big is this damn fortress? Can't I just smash the door down with my grimoire?"

"If you could do that this wouldn't be much of a problem. Several Ars Magus seals have been placed on it, along with magic nullification seals, physical, magical, and elemental repealing cockatrices; a barrier that disrupts teleportation along with a lock with a code that changes every three seconds; completely different and unrelated to the code before. It follows no pattern and the code never repeats twice."

"Isn't that overkill...?" Ragna deadpanned.

"If you look at it from the eyes of the NOL, it is crucial to have so many seals in place. Lest some moron attempts to pass with the intent of killing their leader." Rachel giggled at the groan that came from Ragna. "Ohkoto is the head of the world; if it were to fall, the world would fall into disarray. Humans are a species that survive on strong leadership. Without one, they are no more than children who are unable to wield a proper spoon at the dinner table. In any case, finding a way past that fortress is our number one priorit—"

Ragna arched a curious brow when he heard Rachel stop and turned to find the vampire panting. "Hey, Rabbit!"

"Pri… Priori…ty…" Rachel wobbled side to side before falling to Ragna.

"Hey!" The Grim Reaper called out to the panting woman when he caught her. Ragna placed a hand on her forehead and clicked his teeth. Just from the touch, he could deduce she was running at least a ninety-eight. Bullets of sweat poured down her face; her pale skin somehow paler than usual which wasn't good. Her chest heaved with every deep breath, and her cheeks were red-lit. This couldn't have _just_ happened. Damn idiot must've been going through this for a while now and fighting Mu must've set this off.

"I am…alright," Rachel forced out, audibly swallowing. "I'm sorry, Ragna, but I…need to lay down."

"Just need to lay down my ass! Fuck…did we pick up any ice packets or medicine for this!?"

"I said I'm alright," Rachel weakly pushed away from Ragna as she fell on the bed. "I do not need you worrying about me."

"Now is not the damn time to be stubborn!" Ragna attempted to take her up but had his hand swatted by Rachel.

"I do not require assistance," Rachel said more sternly, catching her breath as she stood up. The vampire wobbled over to her glass then tried to drink the rest of the warm water down, only for the glass to slip from her hand and shatter when it met the floor.

"Son of a…" Ragna crossed over to Rachel and stooped down to pick up the shards to dump them in the trash. Once he did, he felt a sharp pain lance his thumb and found blood dribbling down. When in the hell did he get cut? Ragna just clicked his teeth and cursed the cut then turned to coming footsteps.

"You were cut…" Rachel said, her voice weak.

"It's nothing. We got medicine in the cabinet." Ragna told her. Dainty hands gently took his finger after a brief silence and inspected it. It wasn't large, but it was still pretty deep. Blood just kept dribbling from the small incision, and the scent entranced her. At that moment, something in her eyes changed. They began to twinkle and gave the odd sense of a predator stalking its prey. It gave Ragna a chill actually. "Hey, it ain't that serious."

"You still need to clean it, lest it gets infected…" Rachel spoke in a mesmerized tone. After a bit of staring, the vampire leaned in and opened her mouth. Ragna blushed a harsh scarlet when her lips made contact with his skin. They were soft; slightly wet and he nearly gasped when she began to suck and lap the wound with her tongue. Didn't sting at all…it felt weird though, but in a good way. With her eyes closed and her moaning softly like that turned this situation even odder than it already was. Crossed that line the moment she decided to suck on his finger.

His blood had familiarity; she knew this peculiar taste. This sweet, heavenly flavor that caused her taste buds to jump. Of course, she did since she's tasted this once before. However, that whole story still didn't answer her question, and while childish, she needed to know…

After one last suck, Rachel withdrew from his finger, then reached into her dress to pull out a bandage to cover the wound. The fever she had moments ago vanished and her skin returned to his usual color. Once she applied the bandage, Rachel looked up at him with a question she had been meaning pose.

"Ragna, now it is my turn to ask a question," she said.

"U-Uh, sure…" Ragna responded, still dazed by his treatment, and more confused why she was blushing.

"Back at the prison, when you gave me your blood, you would've had to—" Rachel's question was put on hold as the ship shook violently to the sound of seemed like a cannonball. The two nearly toppled over but managed to stay on their feet.

"The hell was that…? Hey, Rabbit, you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I am, but—" Once again, the ship rattled, and the two took off to the deck to investigate the cause, meeting Nago and Gii along the way. When they arrived, they found everyone had already gathered with Kagura steering the wheel, just barely managing to avoid another cannonball. Ragna looked out to their attackers and found a lone ship bearing a red flag with what seemed to be a devil emblem. If it's not the NOL, its fucking pirates.

"Bastards wanna fight, huh?" Ragna held his right arm out as the jewel on his glove clicked open, revealing a red light as seithr oozed from it. Right before he fired the charged seithr, a cannonball landed beside their ship, and the wave rocked Ragna and co. to their knees. "Gah…! This is bullshit!"

"They have the advantage on water." Rachel said.

"Then we'll fight these bastards on land. Kagura!" Kokonoe called to him.

"I know!" Kagura made a harsh turn to an island a bit far off from them, managing to just barely avoid a cannonball that would've struck their hull.

* * *

Ragna and co. waited for the captain of their ship, already met with the crew with swords and axes in their hands. Their own weapons were at the ready, guards up, just in case one of them decided to come for the kill. Through the deathly silence, footsteps were heard patting across the grassy field as the group of barbaric men moved out the way to reveal what they believed to be the captain of their ship.

"Whoa…" Kagura whistled with a grin, dropping his stance. Now he didn't expect this… He expected their captain to be a fat, gruff man who had way too many burgers that immediately threatened to hand over their ship and all that garbage. Instead…

"Who are you?" Ragna asked.

"My name is Bullet. And you're gonna help me."

 **Annnd done! Bullet has made her appearance. I'm gonna start double posting soon since I usually have these finished but I've been getting busy lately. Posting the stories I have one by one takes too long, so when I finish 'em, I'm posting 'em. Like the next chapter to this is basically half done and Infinite possibilities is the same along with others I have. Anywho, hope yall liked this and I'll see you next chapter.**

 **Chapter 9: Captain Bullet**


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